After years of exasperation that came out of not getting enough opportunities and not making the most out of the limited chances that were presented to him, Abhishek Sharma is finally making it count in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The southpaw has displayed his power-hitting ability in the ongoing 17th edition of the cash-rich league and is making heads turn for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
The 23-year-old set the IPL 2024 season on fire with a blazing 23-ball 63, studded with three fours and seven sixes. His knock blew the wind out of Mumbai Indians' sails with a whirlwind knock that came at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 273.91.
Abhishek's knock helped him create a new record for the fastest fifty for Sunrisers Hyderabad off just 16 balls as he shattered the previous record held by David Warner.
Abhishek won the Player of the Match award in that game and backed it up with another Player of the Match-winning performance against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
With 166 to win, Abhishek injected momentum into SRH's chase and got them off to a flier. He even overshadowed his opening partner Travis Head in terms of strike rate as he flew to 37 off just 12 balls, smashing three fours and four maximums on his way.
SRH won the game by six wickets and asserted their dominance over the defending champions Chennai Super Kings.
A member of India's U19 World Cup-winning squad in 2018, Abhishek is knocking on the doors of India selection. The southpaw is also a handy spinner and has bagged 20, 29 and 30 wickets in the first-class, List-A and T20 circuit.
With India looking for its new generation of talent to replace its legendary stars, Abhishek may be the right fit once the retirements of some of the veteran stars create a void.
