Abhishek Sharma scored a brilliant 141 off 55 balls to help <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sunrisers-hyderabad">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a> (SRH) end their four-match losing streak in IPL 2025. Chasing a mammoth total of 246 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Hyderabad, SRH won it comfortably with nine balls to spare, all thanks to Abhishek&rsquo;s record-breaking knock of 141.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma">Abhishek Sharma</a> brought out a handwritten note from his pocket after reaching his hundred. It read, &ldquo;This one is for the Orange Army.&rdquo; That showed how much he wanted to contribute for the team and win it for them.
&ldquo;I wrote it today itself,&rdquo; Abhishek said after the match. &ldquo;Because I usually wake up and write something. I got a random thought that if I do something today, that would be for the Orange Army. Luckily, today I felt like it was my day.&rdquo;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/psl-multan-sultans-to-donate-356-for-every-six-and-wicket-to-palestinian-charities-8957903">PSL: ​Multan Sultans to donate $356 for every six and wicket to Palestinian charities</a>
The left-handed opener hit 14 fours and 10 sixes during his innings. He was involved in a 171-run opening stand with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/travis-head">Travis Head</a> in just 12.2 overs, setting up SRH's highest successful chase this season.
<h2>'I never play anything behind the wicket'</h2>
&ldquo;If you've seen me close enough, I never play anything behind the wicket,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But I was still trying few shots because they had a pretty good plan for us outside off. So, I wanted to just invent a few shots which I think was very easy on this pitch because of the bounce and the boundary size on one side.&rdquo;
Coming to the match, SRH were under pressure after four consecutive losses. Both openers had failed to capitalise in recent games. However, Abhishek said the mood in the camp remained positive.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d be lying if I say there was no pressure,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There is pressure if you don&rsquo;t do well in three or four innings, especially if your team&rsquo;s losing. But I never felt that we&rsquo;ve been losing games. Nobody in the team had a negative mindset, there was only positivity from everyone.&rdquo;
With this win, SRH have moved up to eighth on the points table. They next face Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday (April17).&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

India News, Cricket, Sports: Abhishek brought out a handwritten note from his pocket after reaching his century in some style. It read, 'This one is for the Orange Army'

Abhishek Sharma scored a brilliant 141 off 55 balls to help Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) end their four-match losing streak in IPL 2025. Chasing a mammoth total of 246 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Hyderabad, SRH won it comfortably with nine balls to spare, all thanks to Abhishek’s record-breaking knock of 141. Abhishek Sharma brought out a handwritten note from his pocket after reaching his hundred. It read, “This one is for the Orange Army.” That showed how much he wanted to contribute for the team and win it for them. “I wrote it today itself,” Abhishek said after the match. “Because I usually wake up and write something. I got a random thought that if I do something today, that would be for the Orange Army. Luckily, today I felt like it was my day.” Also Read: PSL: Multan Sultans to donate $356 for every six and wicket to Palestinian charities The left-handed opener hit 14 fours and 10 sixes during his innings. He was involved in a 171-run opening stand with Travis Head in just 12.2 overs, setting up SRH's highest successful chase this season. 'I never play anything behind the wicket' “If you've seen me close enough, I never play anything behind the wicket,” he said. “But I was still trying few shots because they had a pretty good plan for us outside off. So, I wanted to just invent a few shots which I think was very easy on this pitch because of the bounce and the boundary size on one side.” Coming to the match, SRH were under pressure after four consecutive losses. Both openers had failed to capitalise in recent games. However, Abhishek said the mood in the camp remained positive. “I’d be lying if I say there was no pressure,” he said. “There is pressure if you don’t do well in three or four innings, especially if your team’s losing. But I never felt that we’ve been losing games. Nobody in the team had a negative mindset, there was only positivity from everyone.” With this win, SRH have moved up to eighth on the points table. They next face Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday (April17). (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025 | Random thought. Real impact: Abhishek Sharma's blazing 141 lifts SRH and Orange Army

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opening batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma">Abhishek Sharma</a> was in red-hot form against Punjab Kings (PBKS) during their Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) clash in Hyderabad on Saturday (April 12). The swashbuckling batsman made a blistering 141 off just 55 balls to help his team register a dominating win. His innings was laced with 14 boundaries and 10 sixes.
Post game, the batter revealed that he was battling fever over the last four days but continued to receive words of encouragement from former India cricketer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yuvraj-singh">Yuvraj Singh</a> and current Mumbai Indians vice-captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/suryakumar-yadav">Suryakumar Yadav</a>.
Abhishek was struggling to find rhythm in the last five games until the big game against PBKS.&nbsp;Yuvraj has been a mentor for Abhishek for a long time while Suryakumar is also a good friend. Keeping rivalry aside, Surya encouraged the SRH batter to move ahead of poor form and try to give his best on the field.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ipl-2025-in-a-heartwarming-gesture-mi-captain-hardik-pandya-gifts-his-bat-to-kashvee-gautam-ahead-of-dc-clash-watch-8957565">IPL 2025: In a heartwarming gesture, MI captain Hardik Pandya gifts his bat to Kashvee Gautam ahead of DC clash-WATCH</a>
"To be honest, I was sick for four days-I had a fever. But I feel really grateful to have people like Yuvraj Singh and Suryakumar Yadav around me. They kept calling, kept checking in, and they believed in me," Abhishek said in the post-match press conference.
"Even when I started to doubt myself a little, they didn't. That belief from people like them-it matters a lot. When someone like that believes in you, you start believing in yourself again. For me, it was just about that one innings. I was waiting for it. And today it came," he added.
<h2>'Never felt any negativity in the team'</h2>
Before the start of the Punjab Kings game, Abhishek had only scored 51 runs at an average of 10.50. Abhishek said that there was pressure on him to deliver.
"Of course - if I say there wasn't, I'd be lying. When you don't perform well for three or four innings, and the team loses, the pressure does build up on individual players. But like I said during the post-match ceremony, I never felt any negativity in the team. No one had the mindset of 'we're losing.' Everyone stayed positive," Abhishek said.
"We all knew something big was coming from the team-and luckily, we got to break that four-match losing streak today," the southpaw signed off.
(With inputs from agencies)

India News, Cricket, Sports: Before the start of the PBKS game, Abhishek had only scored 51 runs at an average of 10.50. He said that there was pressure on him to deliver

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opening batter Abhishek Sharma was in red-hot form against Punjab Kings (PBKS) during their Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) clash in Hyderabad on Saturday (April 12). The swashbuckling batsman made a blistering 141 off just 55 balls to help his team register a dominating win. His innings was laced with 14 boundaries and 10 sixes. Post game, the batter revealed that he was battling fever over the last four days but continued to receive words of encouragement from former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh and current Mumbai Indians vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav. Abhishek was struggling to find rhythm in the last five games until the big game against PBKS. Yuvraj has been a mentor for Abhishek for a long time while Suryakumar is also a good friend. Keeping rivalry aside, Surya encouraged the SRH batter to move ahead of poor form and try to give his best on the field. Also Read: IPL 2025: In a heartwarming gesture, MI captain Hardik Pandya gifts his bat to Kashvee Gautam ahead of DC clash-WATCH "To be honest, I was sick for four days-I had a fever. But I feel really grateful to have people like Yuvraj Singh and Suryakumar Yadav around me. They kept calling, kept checking in, and they believed in me," Abhishek said in the post-match press conference. "Even when I started to doubt myself a little, they didn't. That belief from people like them-it matters a lot. When someone like that believes in you, you start believing in yourself again. For me, it was just about that one innings. I was waiting for it. And today it came," he added. 'Never felt any negativity in the team' Before the start of the Punjab Kings game, Abhishek had only scored 51 runs at an average of 10.50. Abhishek said that there was pressure on him to deliver. "Of course - if I say there wasn't, I'd be lying. When you don't perform well for three or four innings, and the team loses, the pressure does build up on individual players. But like I said during the post-match ceremony, I never felt any negativity in the team. No one had the mindset of 'we're losing.' Everyone stayed positive," Abhishek said. "We all knew something big was coming from the team-and luckily, we got to break that four-match losing streak today," the southpaw signed off. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Not Rohit or Hardik: Abhishek Sharma credits THIS MI player for key support

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma" rel="dofollow">Abhishek Sharma</a> is all over the internet for his viral &lsquo;note celebration&rsquo; against Punjab Kings in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a>. The left-handed SRH opener scored a stunning 141 off 55 balls while chasing (hitting ten sixes and 14 fours), registering the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/srh-vs-pbks-abhishek-sharma-enters-history-books-with-highest-score-by-an-indian-in-ipl-8956639" rel="dofollow">highest individual score by an Indian in the history of this league</a>. His monumental knock floored PBKS as SRH chased 245 inside the 19th over, completing the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-fiery-abhishek-steers-srh-to-eight-wicket-win-over-punjab-kings-8955952" rel="dofollow">second-most successful run chase in this tournament</a>.
His opening partner, Travis Head, reveals what went behind Abhishek's infamous note celebration the other night.
Head and Abhishek were at the forefront of the chase at home, smacking PBKS bowlers with utter disdain. Head faced off the new ball cautiously, only for Abhishek to go all out in his turn. The Indian opener left none, hammering even the pacers, including Punjab&rsquo;s overseas seamer Marco Jansen, for nearly 40 runs in his two overs. Such was the plight that PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer had to bring in batter Shashank Singh to bowl his part-timers inside the first ten overs, as everyone else was leaking runs at an embarrassing rate.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9f9qu59-o0yyyiur-vvvw70hn">
𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄: 🔛 🎥 Catch a glimpse of how Abhishek Sharma raced towards a record knock of an explosive 141 (55) 🧡🔥 Updates ▶ <a href="https://t.co/RTe7RlYbGY">https://t.co/RTe7RlYbGY</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRHvPBKS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRHvPBKS</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/SunRisers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SunRisers</a> <a href="https://t.co/8vjvkKYPMS">pic.twitter.com/8vjvkKYPMS</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1911114601120616927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
While Abhishek kept knocking off each ball to the boundary, Head was happy witnessing history unfolding at the other end. Having shared, batted and spent enough time since playing together at SRH, Head explained the story behind Abhishek&rsquo;s note celebration. &nbsp;
Following SRH&rsquo;s eight-wicket win against Punjab - their second this season and perhaps a needed one, Head revealed Abhishek had this paper folded in his pocket for the past several games but finally pulled it out on Saturday. &nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;The note has been in the pocket of Abhishek Sharma for 6 games, glad it came out tonight,&rdquo; Head revealed in a chat with the broadcaster after the game.&nbsp;
<h2>Abhishek&rsquo;s Wonder Night in IPL 2025&nbsp;</h2>
Abhishek began aggressively in the side&rsquo;s tournament opener against the Rajasthan Royals but failed to convert his starts to big scores in the upcoming few games.&nbsp;
Upbeat about performing well and returning among runs, the left-handed batter picked the PBKS game to silence his critics, and he did so handsomely.&nbsp;
Alongside Head, Abhishek stitched a 171-run stand for the first wicket in just over 12 overs, completing his maiden IPL hundred a few balls later.
Supremely proud of his performance, he celebrated it by pulling out a note, which read, &lsquo;THIS IS FOR THE ORANGE ARMY&rsquo;.&nbsp;
From the team owner, Kavya Maran, to Abhishek&rsquo;s family sitting in the stands to the thousand fans in attendance, everyone celebrated his match-winning hundred - a moment Abhishek shall cherish forever.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9f9m6xb-n9aewpfi-w8gayqv5">
𝘼 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚-𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙏𝙊𝙉 💯 A stunning maiden <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> century from Abhishek Sharma keeps <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRH</a> on 🔝 in this chase 💪 Updates ▶ <a href="https://t.co/RTe7RlXDRq">https://t.co/RTe7RlXDRq</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRHvPBKS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRHvPBKS</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/SunRisers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SunRisers</a> <a href="https://t.co/ANgdm1n86w">pic.twitter.com/ANgdm1n86w</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1911109071568003326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
(With inputs from agencies)

His monumental knock floored PBKS as SRH chased 245 inside the 18th over, completing the second-most successful run chase in this tournament. India news, Cricket, Sports

Abhishek Sharma is all over the internet for his viral ‘note celebration’ against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025. The left-handed SRH opener scored a stunning 141 off 55 balls while chasing (hitting ten sixes and 14 fours), registering the highest individual score by an Indian in the history of this league. His monumental knock floored PBKS as SRH chased 245 inside the 19th over, completing the second-most successful run chase in this tournament. His opening partner, Travis Head, reveals what went behind Abhishek's infamous note celebration the other night. Head and Abhishek were at the forefront of the chase at home, smacking PBKS bowlers with utter disdain. Head faced off the new ball cautiously, only for Abhishek to go all out in his turn. The Indian opener left none, hammering even the pacers, including Punjab’s overseas seamer Marco Jansen, for nearly 40 runs in his two overs. Such was the plight that PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer had to bring in batter Shashank Singh to bowl his part-timers inside the first ten overs, as everyone else was leaking runs at an embarrassing rate. 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄: 🔛 🎥 Catch a glimpse of how Abhishek Sharma raced towards a record knock of an explosive 141 (55) 🧡🔥 Updates ▶ https://t.co/RTe7RlYbGY#TATAIPL | #SRHvPBKS | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/8vjvkKYPMS — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2025 While Abhishek kept knocking off each ball to the boundary, Head was happy witnessing history unfolding at the other end. Having shared, batted and spent enough time since playing together at SRH, Head explained the story behind Abhishek’s note celebration. Following SRH’s eight-wicket win against Punjab - their second this season and perhaps a needed one, Head revealed Abhishek had this paper folded in his pocket for the past several games but finally pulled it out on Saturday. “The note has been in the pocket of Abhishek Sharma for 6 games, glad it came out tonight,” Head revealed in a chat with the broadcaster after the game. Abhishek’s Wonder Night in IPL 2025 Abhishek began aggressively in the side’s tournament opener against the Rajasthan Royals but failed to convert his starts to big scores in the upcoming few games. Upbeat about performing well and returning among runs, the left-handed batter picked the PBKS game to silence his critics, and he did so handsomely. Alongside Head, Abhishek stitched a 171-run stand for the first wicket in just over 12 overs, completing his maiden IPL hundred a few balls later. Supremely proud of his performance, he celebrated it by pulling out a note, which read, ‘THIS IS FOR THE ORANGE ARMY’. From the team owner, Kavya Maran, to Abhishek’s family sitting in the stands to the thousand fans in attendance, everyone celebrated his match-winning hundred - a moment Abhishek shall cherish forever. 𝘼 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚-𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙏𝙊𝙉 💯 A stunning maiden #TATAIPL century from Abhishek Sharma keeps #SRH on 🔝 in this chase 💪 Updates ▶ https://t.co/RTe7RlXDRq#TATAIPL | #SRHvPBKS | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/ANgdm1n86w — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2025 (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: What's the story behind Abhishek Sharma's viral 'note celebration?' Head reveals

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Abhishek Sharma is now the highest individual Indian scorer in the IPL. Chasing 246 at home against the high-flying Punjab Kings on Saturday in IPL 2025, Abhishek scored a brilliant 141 off 55 balls, hitting ten massive sixes and 14 fours in a monumental knock, helping his team complete the second-highest run chase in the competition history. He, however, is third on the list of highest individual scores in IPL after Chris Gayle (175*) and Brendon McCullum (158*).
<h3>Highest Individual Scores in IPL history -&nbsp;</h3>
<ul>
<li>Chris Gayle (RCB) - 175* vs PWI</li>
<li>Brendon McCullum (KKR) - 158* vs RCB</li>
<li>Abhishek Sharma (SRH) - 141 vs PBKS</li>
<li>Quinton de Kock (LSG) - 140 vs KKR</li>
<li>AB de Villiers (RCB) - 133* vs MI</li>
<li>KL Rahul (PBKS) &ndash; 132* vs RCB&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Abhishek stitched a 171-run stand for the first wicket with Travis Head, who also completed his fifty (66), tormenting Punjab&rsquo;s bowling attack from the word go. Both left-handers had their chances early on and made the most of it, completing the 150-run-mark inside the first ten overs. &nbsp; &nbsp;
Despite losing Head inside the 13th over, Abhishek kept SRH in the run chase, holding one end and smacking bowlers to all parts of the ground. He completed his maiden IPL hundred in the same over and pulled out a note reading, &lsquo;THIS ONE IS FOR THE ORANGE ARMY&rsquo; in his celebration. SRH owner Kavya Maran was ecstatic sitting in the stands, even congratulating Abhishek&rsquo;s parents in attendance for their son&rsquo;s marvellous achievement. Even the SRH dugout went bonkers over this record, with the home crowd also cherishing a massive and much-needed win later.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9f6lgrt-4msue5h7-6tdmae6i">
𝘼 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚-𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙏𝙊𝙉 💯 A stunning maiden #TATAIPL century from Abhishek Sharma keeps #SRH on 🔝 in this chase 💪 Updates ▶ https://t.co/RTe7RlXDRq#TATAIPL | #SRHvPBKS | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/ANgdm1n86w
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2025</blockquote>
<h2>Punjab&rsquo;s innings&nbsp;</h2>
Punjab Kings batted first and scored their highest team total this season &ndash; hitting 245 for six in 20 overs. Contributions from their top four, including their captain Shreyas Iyer, who hit a magnificent 82 off 26 balls, smashing six sixes and as many fours, ensured PBKS had its nose ahead in this contest. All-rounder Marcus Stoinis put the cherry on the top with four sixes off Mohammed Shami in his last over, propelling PBKS to a massive first-inning score. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; For the hosts, each of the five used bowlers conceded over ten runs per over, with veteran seamer Shami leaking 75 in four overs, going at over 18 &ndash; his worst performance across all T20 competitions. The only silverware for them was Harshal Patel&rsquo;s performance, who leaked over 40 runs in his quota but picked four out of the six fallen wickets.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, with this win, SRH climbed two spots to the eighth position on the points table with two wins from six matches.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

SRH opener Abhishek Sharma surpassed KL Rahul's 132* (against RCB) to register the highest individual score by an Indian in the cash-rich IPL. India news, Cricket, Sports

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Abhishek Sharma is now the highest individual Indian scorer in the IPL. Chasing 246 at home against the high-flying Punjab Kings on Saturday in IPL 2025, Abhishek scored a brilliant 141 off 55 balls, hitting ten massive sixes and 14 fours in a monumental knock, helping his team complete the second-highest run chase in the competition history. He, however, is third on the list of highest individual scores in IPL after Chris Gayle (175*) and Brendon McCullum (158*). Highest Individual Scores in IPL history - Chris Gayle (RCB) - 175* vs PWI Brendon McCullum (KKR) - 158* vs RCB Abhishek Sharma (SRH) - 141 vs PBKS Quinton de Kock (LSG) - 140 vs KKR AB de Villiers (RCB) - 133* vs MI KL Rahul (PBKS) – 132* vs RCB Abhishek stitched a 171-run stand for the first wicket with Travis Head, who also completed his fifty (66), tormenting Punjab’s bowling attack from the word go. Both left-handers had their chances early on and made the most of it, completing the 150-run-mark inside the first ten overs. Despite losing Head inside the 13th over, Abhishek kept SRH in the run chase, holding one end and smacking bowlers to all parts of the ground. He completed his maiden IPL hundred in the same over and pulled out a note reading, ‘THIS ONE IS FOR THE ORANGE ARMY’ in his celebration. SRH owner Kavya Maran was ecstatic sitting in the stands, even congratulating Abhishek’s parents in attendance for their son’s marvellous achievement. Even the SRH dugout went bonkers over this record, with the home crowd also cherishing a massive and much-needed win later. 𝘼 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚-𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙏𝙊𝙉 💯 A stunning maiden #TATAIPL century from Abhishek Sharma keeps #SRH on 🔝 in this chase 💪 Updates ▶ https://t.co/RTe7RlXDRq#TATAIPL | #SRHvPBKS | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/ANgdm1n86w — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2025 Punjab’s innings Punjab Kings batted first and scored their highest team total this season – hitting 245 for six in 20 overs. Contributions from their top four, including their captain Shreyas Iyer, who hit a magnificent 82 off 26 balls, smashing six sixes and as many fours, ensured PBKS had its nose ahead in this contest. All-rounder Marcus Stoinis put the cherry on the top with four sixes off Mohammed Shami in his last over, propelling PBKS to a massive first-inning score. For the hosts, each of the five used bowlers conceded over ten runs per over, with veteran seamer Shami leaking 75 in four overs, going at over 18 – his worst performance across all T20 competitions. The only silverware for them was Harshal Patel’s performance, who leaked over 40 runs in his quota but picked four out of the six fallen wickets. Meanwhile, with this win, SRH climbed two spots to the eighth position on the points table with two wins from six matches. (With inputs from agencies)

SRH vs PBKS: Abhishek Sharma enters history books with highest score by an Indian in IPL

7 Highest Individual Scores in Run Chases in IPL History

7. Jos Buttler – 100 (60 balls)

6. David Warner – 100 (55 balls)

5. Jonny Bairstow – 108 (48 balls)

4. Virat Kohli – 113 (50 balls)

3. Shane Watson – 117 (57 balls)

2. Paul Valthaty – 120 (63 balls)

1. Abhishek Sharma – 141 (55 balls)

India, Sports Web Stories: 7 Highest Individual Scores in Run Chases in IPL History ft Abhishek Sharma SRH vs PBKS Virat Kohli Shane Watson.

Opener <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma">Abhishek Sharma</a> smashed a scintillating century and shared a 171-run partnership with fellow opener <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/travis-head">Travis Head</a> as Sunrisers Hyderabad made a mockery of 245-run chase, registering an eight-wicket win against Punjab Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 on Saturday. SRH scaled down the target 247/2 with nine balls to spare.
Abhishek made 141 off 55 deliveries studded with 14 fours and 10 big hits, while Head made 66 off 37 balls as the duo undid the good work done by Punjab Kings' captain Shreyas Iyer, who hit a 36-ball 82 after electing to bat first.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-dcs-ashutosh-sharma-backs-simple-see-ball-hit-ball-plan-ahead-of-clash-against-mumbai-indians-8955763">IPL 2025: DC's Ashutosh Sharma backs simple &lsquo;see ball, hit ball&rsquo; plan ahead of clash against Mumbai Indians</a>
Earlier in the first innings, PBKS' skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shreyas-iyer">Shreyas Iyer'</a>s fifty and Australian right-hand batter Marcus Stoinis's cameo in the end powered the Punjab Kings (PBKS) side to a massive total of 245/6 in their 20 overs.
<h2>Shreyas scores his third half-century&nbsp;</h2>
PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Batters Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya came out in the middle to open the innings for their side.&nbsp;In the first over, Prabhsimran blasted Mohammed Shami for three fours. In the second over, skipper Pat Cummins gave away 16 runs, with Priyansh being the aggressor with four and six. In the third over, Shami is taken down for three sixes and a four. PBKS is 53/0, with Priyansh (29*) and Prabhsimran (23*) unbeaten.
Debutant Eshan Malinga took his maiden IPL wicket as a fine catch at mid-off from Pat Cummins to dismiss Prabhsimran (42 in 23 balls, with seven fours and a six) at the score of 91 in the seventh over.
Shreyas Iyer went on to score his third half-century of IPL 2025 in just 22 balls, which came with two fours and five sixes.&nbsp;Eshan Malinga got his second wicket, as he removed Nehal for 27 in 22 balls, with two fours and a six. PBKS is 164/3 in 13.3 overs.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Abhishek Sharma made blistering 141 off 55 deliveries. His innings was laced with 14 boundaries and 10 sixes, while Travis Head made 66 off 37 balls

Opener Abhishek Sharma smashed a scintillating century and shared a 171-run partnership with fellow opener Travis Head as Sunrisers Hyderabad made a mockery of 245-run chase, registering an eight-wicket win against Punjab Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 on Saturday. SRH scaled down the target 247/2 with nine balls to spare. Abhishek made 141 off 55 deliveries studded with 14 fours and 10 big hits, while Head made 66 off 37 balls as the duo undid the good work done by Punjab Kings' captain Shreyas Iyer, who hit a 36-ball 82 after electing to bat first. Also Read: IPL 2025: DC's Ashutosh Sharma backs simple ‘see ball, hit ball’ plan ahead of clash against Mumbai Indians Earlier in the first innings, PBKS' skipper Shreyas Iyer's fifty and Australian right-hand batter Marcus Stoinis's cameo in the end powered the Punjab Kings (PBKS) side to a massive total of 245/6 in their 20 overs. Shreyas scores his third half-century PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Batters Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya came out in the middle to open the innings for their side. In the first over, Prabhsimran blasted Mohammed Shami for three fours. In the second over, skipper Pat Cummins gave away 16 runs, with Priyansh being the aggressor with four and six. In the third over, Shami is taken down for three sixes and a four. PBKS is 53/0, with Priyansh (29*) and Prabhsimran (23*) unbeaten. Debutant Eshan Malinga took his maiden IPL wicket as a fine catch at mid-off from Pat Cummins to dismiss Prabhsimran (42 in 23 balls, with seven fours and a six) at the score of 91 in the seventh over. Shreyas Iyer went on to score his third half-century of IPL 2025 in just 22 balls, which came with two fours and five sixes. Eshan Malinga got his second wicket, as he removed Nehal for 27 in 22 balls, with two fours and a six. PBKS is 164/3 in 13.3 overs. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Fiery Abhishek steers SRH to eight-wicket win over Punjab Kings

IPL franchise <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sunrisers-hyderabad-srh" rel="dofollow">SunRisers Hyderabad&rsquo;s (SRH)</a> owner Kavya Maran wasn&rsquo;t happy with how her team&rsquo;s superstar opening pair of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/travis-head" rel="dofollow">Travis Head</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma" rel="dofollow">Abhishek Sharma</a> departed early inside the Powerplay against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gujarat-titans" rel="dofollow">Gujarat Titans</a> at home on Sunday evening. Failing to provide a brilliant start cost SRH as they lost their fourth successive game in IPL 2025, while GT completed their hat-trick of wins. With just one win in five contested matches thus far, SRH sits at the bottom of the points table.
Unlike how it unfolded in the team&rsquo;s tournament opener against Rajasthan Royals when they almost breached the record for the highest team total in IPL (the record they only held), SRH failed to produce repetitive performances in their four matches played since, the blame for which fell on the openers that didn&rsquo;t click individually and as a pair. Against GT, the picture remained the same.
While Australian opener Travis Head departed inside the first over, caught at the mid-wicket off seamer Mohammed Siraj on eight, the Indian quick also accounted for Head&rsquo;s partner Abhishek Sharma on 18 in his third over. Head and Abhishek hit early fours but failed to get going, leaving their team owner sitting in the stands amused by their shot selections.
Kavya&rsquo;s expressions told the entire story as a poor start led to SRH putting up a modest 152 for eight in 20 overs.
<h3>Watch Video &ndash;</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m96jq7ds-keqvsz4o-jnbu7gqo">
Ruk jao bhai kya kar rahe ho Normal cricket khel lo ab 🤣🤣 Kavya maran's reactions 🤌🏽🤣 <a href="https://t.co/O39QTMNgPc">pic.twitter.com/O39QTMNgPc</a>
&mdash; &bull;&bull;TAUKIR&bull;&bull; (@iitaukir) <a href="https://twitter.com/iitaukir/status/1908893313488269607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h2>GT completes hat-trick of wins</h2>
Gujarat&rsquo;s new-looking XI seems to have clicked well as they completed their hat-trick of wins since going down in their first game of IPL 2025. Shubman Gill-led side has ticked all boxes, looking stronger with each match.&nbsp;
While their premier seamer Siraj has returned among wickets, placed second after CSK&rsquo;s Noor Ahmed in the wickets tally thus far this season with nine scalps from five matches, their batters coming up good in every game has benefitted them big time.&nbsp;
Even though their top run-getters Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler got out on without contributing enough (against GT), Gill&rsquo;s unbeaten 61 and 49 from Washington Sundar and 35 not out off 16 balls by Sherfane Rutherford ensured Gujarat crossed the line with seven wickets remaining.
SunRisers&rsquo; next game is against Punjab Kings at home on coming Saturday.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: While Head departed inside the first over on just eight, Siraj accounted for his partner Abhishek Sharma soon after, with SRH losing both within the PP.

IPL franchise SunRisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) owner Kavya Maran wasn’t happy with how her team’s superstar opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma departed early inside the Powerplay against Gujarat Titans at home on Sunday evening. Failing to provide a brilliant start cost SRH as they lost their fourth successive game in IPL 2025, while GT completed their hat-trick of wins. With just one win in five contested matches thus far, SRH sits at the bottom of the points table. Unlike how it unfolded in the team’s tournament opener against Rajasthan Royals when they almost breached the record for the highest team total in IPL (the record they only held), SRH failed to produce repetitive performances in their four matches played since, the blame for which fell on the openers that didn’t click individually and as a pair. Against GT, the picture remained the same. While Australian opener Travis Head departed inside the first over, caught at the mid-wicket off seamer Mohammed Siraj on eight, the Indian quick also accounted for Head’s partner Abhishek Sharma on 18 in his third over. Head and Abhishek hit early fours but failed to get going, leaving their team owner sitting in the stands amused by their shot selections. Kavya’s expressions told the entire story as a poor start led to SRH putting up a modest 152 for eight in 20 overs. Watch Video – Ruk jao bhai kya kar rahe ho Normal cricket khel lo ab 🤣🤣 Kavya maran's reactions 🤌🏽🤣 pic.twitter.com/O39QTMNgPc — ••TAUKIR•• (@iitaukir) April 6, 2025 GT completes hat-trick of wins Gujarat’s new-looking XI seems to have clicked well as they completed their hat-trick of wins since going down in their first game of IPL 2025. Shubman Gill-led side has ticked all boxes, looking stronger with each match. While their premier seamer Siraj has returned among wickets, placed second after CSK’s Noor Ahmed in the wickets tally thus far this season with nine scalps from five matches, their batters coming up good in every game has benefitted them big time. Even though their top run-getters Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler got out on without contributing enough (against GT), Gill’s unbeaten 61 and 49 from Washington Sundar and 35 not out off 16 balls by Sherfane Rutherford ensured Gujarat crossed the line with seven wickets remaining. SunRisers’ next game is against Punjab Kings at home on coming Saturday. (With inputs from agencies)

SRH owner Kavya Maran’s animated reaction to Head, Abhishek’s dismissals against GT – Watch Viral Video

Former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson says that India youngster Abhishek Sharma is one of the most dangerous T20 batters in the world. The statement came on a ESPNCricinfo show during ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Williamson had captained Abhishek at SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the past.
Abhishek now forms one half of one of the most dangerous opening pairs in IPL with Travis Head on the other end. He was brought in by SRH from Delhi Capitals in 2019 and in 2024 he fully paid the trust shown in him - hitting 484 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 204.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/119-sixes-183-fours-and-six-200-scores-in-10-innings-ipl-2025-is-already-a-run-fest-and-there-is-no-par-score-8893150" aria-label="119 sixes, 183 fours and six 200+ scores in 5 matches: IPL 2025 is already a run-fest and 'there is no par score'">119 sixes, 183 fours and six 200+ scores in 5 matches: IPL 2025 is already a run-fest and 'there is no par score'</a>
"Sometimes in the IPL, it's quite difficult to have a long pathway for a young player. But yeah, a real masterstroke obviously now bearing fruit with Abhi being one of the most dangerous T20 batters in the world," said Williamson on his late blooming.
"I think there were a few guys who were kind of under Yuvraj Singh's wings," Williamson added. "Abhi was one of them and Shubman [Gill] was another. So clearly there was an identification of talent.
"He has got that gift of power but it's not through brute force. It is through timing the ball and playing all around the ground, which is a superpower in a lot of ways. It's a little bit like Heinrich Klaasen"
His last year's IPL exploits also earned him a place in the India T20I team which had two vacant places at the top after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired post T20 World Cup 2024 win.
Abhishek shone there as well - scoring 535 runs in 17 games at an average of 33.43 and a strike rate of 193 - with two hundreds and two fifties.
In the first match of the IPL 2025, Abhishek scored 24 off 11 balls as SRH once again had a flying start of 45 runs in three overs.

His last year's IPL exploits also earned him a place in the India T20I team which had two vacant places at the top after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired post T20 World Cup 2024 win. Cricket Sports

Former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson says that India youngster Abhishek Sharma is one of the most dangerous T20 batters in the world. The statement came on a ESPNCricinfo show during ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Williamson had captained Abhishek at SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the past. Abhishek now forms one half of one of the most dangerous opening pairs in IPL with Travis Head on the other end. He was brought in by SRH from Delhi Capitals in 2019 and in 2024 he fully paid the trust shown in him - hitting 484 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 204. Also Read: 119 sixes, 183 fours and six 200+ scores in 5 matches: IPL 2025 is already a run-fest and 'there is no par score' "Sometimes in the IPL, it's quite difficult to have a long pathway for a young player. But yeah, a real masterstroke obviously now bearing fruit with Abhi being one of the most dangerous T20 batters in the world," said Williamson on his late blooming. "I think there were a few guys who were kind of under Yuvraj Singh's wings," Williamson added. "Abhi was one of them and Shubman [Gill] was another. So clearly there was an identification of talent. "He has got that gift of power but it's not through brute force. It is through timing the ball and playing all around the ground, which is a superpower in a lot of ways. It's a little bit like Heinrich Klaasen" His last year's IPL exploits also earned him a place in the India T20I team which had two vacant places at the top after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired post T20 World Cup 2024 win. Abhishek shone there as well - scoring 535 runs in 17 games at an average of 33.43 and a strike rate of 193 - with two hundreds and two fifties. In the first match of the IPL 2025, Abhishek scored 24 off 11 balls as SRH once again had a flying start of 45 runs in three overs.

Not Travis Head or Heinrich Klaasen but Kane Williamson picks THIS SRH batter as 'one of the most dangerous in world'

Former Indian all-rounder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yuvraj-singh" rel="dofollow">Yuvraj Singh</a> has thrown his weight behind <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sunrisers-hyderabad" rel="dofollow">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a> (SRH) as his favorites to lift the Indian Premier League 2025&nbsp;trophy. However, the World Cup-winning cricketer made it clear that his preference has nothing to do with his mentorship of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma">Abhishek Sharma</a>, one of SRH&rsquo;s most promising young stars.
Yuvraj, who has been closely working with&nbsp;Abhishek Sharma, has seen the youngster develop into a powerful top-order batter for SRH. In IPL 2024, Abhishek stunned everyone with his 63 off just 23 balls against Mumbai Indians (MI), playing a crucial role in SRH's record-breaking 277/3 total&mdash;the highest-ever in IPL history.
Speaking exclusively to WION, the former Indian cricketer said, "SRH looks a well-balanced team. They have enough firepower to life the coveted IPL trophy this season. I am not saying this because I am biased towards Abhishek, but they really are a strong team."
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-record-breaker-gibbs-doesnt-think-scoring-300-in-an-inning-is-biggest-achievement-8880269">IPL 2025: Record-breaker Gibbs doesn&rsquo;t think scoring 300 in an inning is biggest achievement</a>
Despite his evident connection with Abhishek, Yuvraj was quick to clarify that his backing of SRH is based purely on the team's overall strength, balance, and performance, not personal bias. He believes that under the leadership of Pat Cummins, SRH has all the ingredients to go all the way this season.
In a lighthearted moment after Abhishek&rsquo;s stunning knock, Yuvraj praised the youngster's innings but jokingly pointed out his mistake while playing the short ball that led to his dismissal. This showed the high expectations the former cricketer has for his protege.
<h2 data-start="1156" data-end="1427">Yuvi's love for RCB&nbsp;</h2>
While SRH remains his top pick, Yuvraj also expressed his admiration for&nbsp;Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), saying that he would love to see them go all the way. RCB, a team with a massive fanbase and star players like&nbsp;Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell, has been chasing their elusive maiden IPL title for years.
By supporting both SRH and RCB, Yuvraj has set up an interesting narrative for the IPL season. Will SRH capitalise on their explosive batting lineup, or will RCB finally break their trophy drought? With Yuvraj&rsquo;s endorsement, all eyes will be on these two franchises as they battle for the IPL 2024 crown.
With high expectations and intense competition, IPL 2024 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons yet. Whether SRH lives up to Yuvraj&rsquo;s prediction or RCB fulfills the dreams of their loyal fans, one thing is certain&mdash;this tournament is going to be a&nbsp;thriller!

Sports, Cricket: Yuvraj, who has been closely working with Abhishek Sharma, has seen the youngster develop into a powerful top-order batter for Sunrisers Hyderabad

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has thrown his weight behind Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as his favorites to lift the Indian Premier League 2025 trophy. However, the World Cup-winning cricketer made it clear that his preference has nothing to do with his mentorship of Abhishek Sharma, one of SRH’s most promising young stars. Yuvraj, who has been closely working with Abhishek Sharma, has seen the youngster develop into a powerful top-order batter for SRH. In IPL 2024, Abhishek stunned everyone with his 63 off just 23 balls against Mumbai Indians (MI), playing a crucial role in SRH's record-breaking 277/3 total—the highest-ever in IPL history. Speaking exclusively to WION, the former Indian cricketer said, "SRH looks a well-balanced team. They have enough firepower to life the coveted IPL trophy this season. I am not saying this because I am biased towards Abhishek, but they really are a strong team." Also Read: IPL 2025: Record-breaker Gibbs doesn’t think scoring 300 in an inning is biggest achievement Despite his evident connection with Abhishek, Yuvraj was quick to clarify that his backing of SRH is based purely on the team's overall strength, balance, and performance, not personal bias. He believes that under the leadership of Pat Cummins, SRH has all the ingredients to go all the way this season. In a lighthearted moment after Abhishek’s stunning knock, Yuvraj praised the youngster's innings but jokingly pointed out his mistake while playing the short ball that led to his dismissal. This showed the high expectations the former cricketer has for his protege. Yuvi's love for RCB While SRH remains his top pick, Yuvraj also expressed his admiration for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), saying that he would love to see them go all the way. RCB, a team with a massive fanbase and star players like Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell, has been chasing their elusive maiden IPL title for years. By supporting both SRH and RCB, Yuvraj has set up an interesting narrative for the IPL season. Will SRH capitalise on their explosive batting lineup, or will RCB finally break their trophy drought? With Yuvraj’s endorsement, all eyes will be on these two franchises as they battle for the IPL 2024 crown. With high expectations and intense competition, IPL 2024 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons yet. Whether SRH lives up to Yuvraj’s prediction or RCB fulfills the dreams of their loyal fans, one thing is certain—this tournament is going to be a thriller!

Exclusive | IPL 2025: Not RCB or Punjab Kings, Yuvraj Singh picks THIS team as favourite to lift title

Former England batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kevin-pietersen">Kevin Pietersen</a> hailed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/varun-chakaravarthy">Varun Chakravarthy</a>&rsquo;s inclusion in India&rsquo;s ODI squad for the three-match series against England, calling it "a great decision." However, he backed the English batters to handle the spinner better in the longer format.
Chakravarthy was instrumental in India&rsquo;s 4-1 T20I series win over England, claiming 14 wickets. His impressive performance earned him a place in the ODI squad for the series, which begins in Nagpur on Thursday.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-match-tickets-schedule-venues-full-squads-team-news-latest-updates-today-feb-4-liveblog-8688762">HIGHLIGHTS | 2025 Champions Trophy: All latest updates and news February 4</a> "The English batters will find it easier against him in ODIs because they have more time to settle in. It&rsquo;s a longer format, where not every ball is an event. But I still think picking him is a great call," Pietersen said during the launch of Dram Bell Scotch Whisky.
Reflecting on England&rsquo;s T20I series loss, Pietersen termed it a "disaster" and suggested the outcome could have been different if a like-for-like concussion substitute had been used for Shivam Dube instead of fast bowler <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/harshit-rana">Harshit Rana</a>.
"It was a disappointing series for England. In the fourth T20I, if the concussion substitution had been handled correctly, England might have won. That would have made it 2-2 going into the Wankhede, adding much more to the final game. But it didn&rsquo;t happen," he said.
Pietersen also heaped praise on young Indian batter Abhishek Sharma, crediting Yuvraj Singh&rsquo;s influence on him.
"Abhishek was outstanding. He had the shades on&hellip; You can see Yuvraj&rsquo;s impact on him. His knock was the best T20I innings I&rsquo;ve ever seen, and I told him that," Pietersen said.
"It was effortless. His stroke play was pure&mdash;no funky shots, no ramps, no reverse sweeps. Just perfection," he added, marveling at the Punjab left-hander&rsquo;s batting display.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket Sports: The former England batter also heaped praise on young Indian batter Abhishek Sharma, crediting Yuvraj Singh’s influence on him.

Former England batter Kevin Pietersen hailed Varun Chakravarthy’s inclusion in India’s ODI squad for the three-match series against England, calling it "a great decision." However, he backed the English batters to handle the spinner better in the longer format. Chakravarthy was instrumental in India’s 4-1 T20I series win over England, claiming 14 wickets. His impressive performance earned him a place in the ODI squad for the series, which begins in Nagpur on Thursday. Also Read: HIGHLIGHTS | 2025 Champions Trophy: All latest updates and news February 4 "The English batters will find it easier against him in ODIs because they have more time to settle in. It’s a longer format, where not every ball is an event. But I still think picking him is a great call," Pietersen said during the launch of Dram Bell Scotch Whisky. Reflecting on England’s T20I series loss, Pietersen termed it a "disaster" and suggested the outcome could have been different if a like-for-like concussion substitute had been used for Shivam Dube instead of fast bowler Harshit Rana. "It was a disappointing series for England. In the fourth T20I, if the concussion substitution had been handled correctly, England might have won. That would have made it 2-2 going into the Wankhede, adding much more to the final game. But it didn’t happen," he said. Pietersen also heaped praise on young Indian batter Abhishek Sharma, crediting Yuvraj Singh’s influence on him. "Abhishek was outstanding. He had the shades on… You can see Yuvraj’s impact on him. His knock was the best T20I innings I’ve ever seen, and I told him that," Pietersen said. "It was effortless. His stroke play was pure—no funky shots, no ramps, no reverse sweeps. Just perfection," he added, marveling at the Punjab left-hander’s batting display. (With inputs from agencies)

English batters will fare better against... in 50-over format: Kevin Pietersen

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India&rsquo;s vice-captain,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shubhman-gill">Shubman Gill</a>, has defended the team&rsquo;s performance in the recently concluded <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/border-gavaskar-trophy">Border-Gavaskar Trophy</a>, emphasising that one bad series does not define their legacy. India suffered a 1-3 series defeat against Australia, marking the end of their decade-long dominance in the marquee Test rivalry. However, Gill insisted that despite the disappointing result, the team played quality cricket and deserved recognition for their past achievements.<span class="EOP SCXW190784383 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Speaking ahead of India&rsquo;s first ODI against England in Nagpur on Thursday, Gill stated that one series does not determine the overall form of a team, pointing to the consistent performances of several players in past tournaments. 
He also highlighted the absence of Jasprit&nbsp;Bumrah on the final day of the fourth Test in Brisbane, suggesting that his presence could have changed the outcome of the match and possibly the series. According to Gill, had Bumrah been available, India could have won the match, drawn the series, and avoided the criticism they are currently facing.<span class="EOP SCXW190784383 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW190784383 BCX0" lang="EN-US"><span class="EOP SCXW190784383 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">'No toxic competition within the team'</h2>
Gill urged critics to consider India&rsquo;s broader accomplishments, including their back-to-back Test series wins in Australia (2018-19 and 2020-21), their 2023 ODI World Cup final appearance, and their consistent dominance in world cricket. He stressed that one match or one series does not define the team&rsquo;s overall ability, reminding everyone of India&rsquo;s past successes on the global stage.<span class="EOP SCXW190784383 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
<span class="EOP SCXW190784383 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/travis-head-wants-this-batsman-to-open-for-australia-in-wtc-final-8690451">Travis Head wants this batsman to open for Australia in WTC final. He is...</a> 
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Addressing the growing competition for top-order spots, Gill acknowledged the rise of Abhishek Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal but dismissed any notions of rivalry. He emphasised that there is no toxic competition within the team as all players share mutual respect and support each other&rsquo;s success. Abhishek, being a childhood friend, and Jaiswal, a close teammate, both add strength to the squad, and Gill sees their performances as a positive sign for Indian cricket.<span class="EOP SCXW190784383 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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With Rohit Sharma, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a>, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Gill himself returning for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, India is shifting its focus to the limited-overs format. This series will be crucial in fine-tuning the team&rsquo;s combinations ahead of the ICC <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy</a> in Dubai, where India will aim to reclaim the title they last won in 2013.<span class="EOP SCXW190784383 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Cricket Sports: Gill also highlighted the absence of Jasprit Bumrah on final day of fourth Test in Brisbane, suggesting that his presence could have changed outcome of the match

India’s vice-captain, Shubman Gill, has defended the team’s performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, emphasising that one bad series does not define their legacy. India suffered a 1-3 series defeat against Australia, marking the end of their decade-long dominance in the marquee Test rivalry. However, Gill insisted that despite the disappointing result, the team played quality cricket and deserved recognition for their past achievements. Speaking ahead of India’s first ODI against England in Nagpur on Thursday, Gill stated that one series does not determine the overall form of a team, pointing to the consistent performances of several players in past tournaments. He also highlighted the absence of Jasprit Bumrah on the final day of the fourth Test in Brisbane, suggesting that his presence could have changed the outcome of the match and possibly the series. According to Gill, had Bumrah been available, India could have won the match, drawn the series, and avoided the criticism they are currently facing. 'No toxic competition within the team' Gill urged critics to consider India’s broader accomplishments, including their back-to-back Test series wins in Australia (2018-19 and 2020-21), their 2023 ODI World Cup final appearance, and their consistent dominance in world cricket. He stressed that one match or one series does not define the team’s overall ability, reminding everyone of India’s past successes on the global stage. Also Read: Travis Head wants this batsman to open for Australia in WTC final. He is... Addressing the growing competition for top-order spots, Gill acknowledged the rise of Abhishek Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal but dismissed any notions of rivalry. He emphasised that there is no toxic competition within the team as all players share mutual respect and support each other’s success. Abhishek, being a childhood friend, and Jaiswal, a close teammate, both add strength to the squad, and Gill sees their performances as a positive sign for Indian cricket. With Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Gill himself returning for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, India is shifting its focus to the limited-overs format. This series will be crucial in fine-tuning the team’s combinations ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, where India will aim to reclaim the title they last won in 2013. (With inputs from agencies)

‘One match and one day doesn’t define us’: Shubman Gill defends India’s loss in BGT

England head coach Brendon McCullum is in awe of Indian batter Abhishek Sharma after the youngster played a match-winning 135-run knock against the visitors on Sunday (Feb 2) in the final T20I. Abhishek, who has been a regular member of the Indian T20I side, completed his ton in just 37 balls as India registered a massive 150-run win over England. The innings was also the highest for any Indian batter in the format as the hosts pocketed the series 4-1. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">McCullum in awe of Abhishek<o:p></o:p></h2>
"First and foremost, the innings we saw from Abhishek is as good an innings as we've ever witnessed in T20 cricket. He's not just doing it against any attack, he's doing it against four guys who bowl 90mph and an absolute gun leg-spinner," McCullum said.<o:p></o:p>
In an explosive innings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Abhishek broke several records, including the most sixes and highest T20I individual score for India. His innings propelled India to 247/9 before bundling out England for 97, registering the biggest win for the hosts. <o:p></o:p>
Abhishek&rsquo;s ton was the second fastest for India in the T20I format, behind Rohit Sharma&rsquo;s record of 35-ball hundred.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-city-spend-whopping-224mn-in-winter-transfer-window-despite-financial-charges-8688164" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Manchester City spend whopping $224mn in winter transfer window despite financial charges</a> 
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Attention turns to the ODI series<o:p></o:p></h2>
Having won the T20I series 4-1, India will now look to replicate the same form in the ODI format as they take on England in a three-match series starting on Thursday (Feb 6). The Men in Blue will be led by Rohit Sharma as they look to build momentum for Champions Trophy 2025. The eight-nation tournament will start on Feb 19 while India begin their campaign on Feb 20 against Bangladesh in Dubai.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
The England series will be a good warm-up for the Indian side as all eyes will be on Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and skipper Rohit. Jasprit Bumrah will not play in the ODI series but is likely to be available for the Champions Trophy 2025.<o:p></o:p>

Sports, Cricket: England head coach Brendon McCullum is in awe of Indian batter Abhishek Sharma after the youngster played a match-winning 135-run knock against the visitors.

England head coach Brendon McCullum is in awe of Indian batter Abhishek Sharma after the youngster played a match-winning 135-run knock against the visitors on Sunday (Feb 2) in the final T20I. Abhishek, who has been a regular member of the Indian T20I side, completed his ton in just 37 balls as India registered a massive 150-run win over England. The innings was also the highest for any Indian batter in the format as the hosts pocketed the series 4-1. McCullum in awe of Abhishek "First and foremost, the innings we saw from Abhishek is as good an innings as we've ever witnessed in T20 cricket. He's not just doing it against any attack, he's doing it against four guys who bowl 90mph and an absolute gun leg-spinner," McCullum said. In an explosive innings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Abhishek broke several records, including the most sixes and highest T20I individual score for India. His innings propelled India to 247/9 before bundling out England for 97, registering the biggest win for the hosts. Abhishek’s ton was the second fastest for India in the T20I format, behind Rohit Sharma’s record of 35-ball hundred. ALSO READ | Manchester City spend whopping $224mn in winter transfer window despite financial charges Attention turns to the ODI series Having won the T20I series 4-1, India will now look to replicate the same form in the ODI format as they take on England in a three-match series starting on Thursday (Feb 6). The Men in Blue will be led by Rohit Sharma as they look to build momentum for Champions Trophy 2025. The eight-nation tournament will start on Feb 19 while India begin their campaign on Feb 20 against Bangladesh in Dubai. The England series will be a good warm-up for the Indian side as all eyes will be on Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and skipper Rohit. Jasprit Bumrah will not play in the ODI series but is likely to be available for the Champions Trophy 2025.

IND vs ENG: Brendon McCullum in awe of Abhishek Sharma after Mumbai heroics, says 'as good an innings as...'

India batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Abhishek Sharma</a> says there's no competition between him, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The statement comes after he broke multiple records during the fifth T20I against England in Mumbai on Sunday (Feb 2) and smashed highest individual score for India. Abhishek, who has become India's regular T20I opener after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a>'s retirement, had hit <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-5th-t20i-abhishek-sharma-smashes-record-books-as-india-hit-247-in-mumbai-8684526" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">135 runs off 54 balls</a> at a strike rate of 250.
With his recent performance, Abhishek has cemented his place as an opener in T20Is while Jaiswal and Gill open the innings for India in Tests and ODIs, respectively.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-list-of-records-broken-by-abhishek-sharma-in-mumbai-t20i-highest-individual-score-most-sixes-fastest-hundred-fastest-fifty-biggest-win-by-run-8686949" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">IND vs ENG: List of records broken by Abhishek Sharma in Mumbai T20I</a>
"I had met Jassu [Jaiswal] and Shubman yesterday [at the BCCI awards]. There has never been a competition among us - we are playing together since Under-16. There was just one dream - to play for India. The three of us are playing now, so there is no better feeling," Abhishek said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
<h2>Rise of Abhishek Sharma</h2>
The left-hand batter, after exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for SunRisers Hyderabad, made his India debut right after T20 World Cup win post Rohit and Virat Kohli's retirement.&nbsp;
He scored a hundred in his second T20I only - 100 against Zimbabwe. Overall, the batter has played 17 T20Is and scored 535 runs at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 193.84. He has hit two hundreds in his career so far and two fifties as well including 34-ball 79 against England in the first T20I of the series.
The batter, after the match, credited the coaches and captain for giving him the confidence.
"You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,&rdquo; Abhishek said about his innings after the match.

The left-hand batter, after exploits in the IPL for SunRisers Hyderabad, made his India debut right after T20 World Cup win post Rohit and Virat Kohli's retirement.  Cricket Sports

India batter Abhishek Sharma says there's no competition between him, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The statement comes after he broke multiple records during the fifth T20I against England in Mumbai on Sunday (Feb 2) and smashed highest individual score for India. Abhishek, who has become India's regular T20I opener after Rohit Sharma's retirement, had hit 135 runs off 54 balls at a strike rate of 250. With his recent performance, Abhishek has cemented his place as an opener in T20Is while Jaiswal and Gill open the innings for India in Tests and ODIs, respectively. Also Read: IND vs ENG: List of records broken by Abhishek Sharma in Mumbai T20I "I had met Jassu [Jaiswal] and Shubman yesterday [at the BCCI awards]. There has never been a competition among us - we are playing together since Under-16. There was just one dream - to play for India. The three of us are playing now, so there is no better feeling," Abhishek said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. Rise of Abhishek Sharma The left-hand batter, after exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for SunRisers Hyderabad, made his India debut right after T20 World Cup win post Rohit and Virat Kohli's retirement. He scored a hundred in his second T20I only - 100 against Zimbabwe. Overall, the batter has played 17 T20Is and scored 535 runs at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 193.84. He has hit two hundreds in his career so far and two fifties as well including 34-ball 79 against England in the first T20I of the series. The batter, after the match, credited the coaches and captain for giving him the confidence. "You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,” Abhishek said about his innings after the match.

'Never been a competition...,' says India T20I opener Abhishek Sharma about Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill

India opener <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Abhishek Sharma</a> was in the zone against England in the fifth T20I in Mumbai on Sunday (Feb 2). He annihilated the opposition during his 54-ball stay, scoring <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-5th-t20i-abhishek-sharma-smashes-record-books-as-india-hit-247-in-mumbai-8684526" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">135 runs at a strike-rate of 250</a>. The batter also smashed 13 sixes and seven fours during his innings as India put up 247 runs on the board in their 150-run win.
<h2>Here's list of records Abhishek Sharma broke in IND vs ENG 5th T20I</h2>
135 Runs - Abhishek's runs are now the highest T20I individual score for India, going past Shubman Gill's 126 not out against New Zealand in 2023.
37-ball Ton - Abhishek took 37 balls to reach his hundred - the second fastest for India behind <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>'s 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Also Read: <a href="England%20skipper%20Jos%20Buttler%20in%20awe%20of%20Abhishek%20Sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">England skipper Jos Buttler in awe of Abhishek Sharma</a>
17-ball Fifty - Abhishek reached his fifty off just 17 balls - also the second fastest for India behind Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball effort against England in 2007 T20 World Cup.
13 Sixes - Abhishek hit 13 sixes in his innings - the most for India in a T20 innings by an individual. He went past Rohit's record of 10 sixes against Sri Lanka (2017) as well as Tilak Verma and Sanju Samson, who had also hit 10 sixes each against South Africa in 2024.
150-run Win - This is now India's second biggest win in T20Is in terms of runs behind 168-run win against New Zealand in 2023.
95/1 in Powerplay - This is also India's highest score in powerplay - going past 82 against Scotland in 2021. India's score is also the sixth highest overall.
The batter, after the match, credited the coaches and captain for giving him the confidence.
"You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,&rdquo; Abhishek said about his innings after the match.

Abhishek annihilated the opposition during his 54-ball stay, scoring 135 runs at 250. The batter also smashed 13 sixes and 7 fours during his innings. Cricket Sports

India opener Abhishek Sharma was in the zone against England in the fifth T20I in Mumbai on Sunday (Feb 2). He annihilated the opposition during his 54-ball stay, scoring 135 runs at a strike-rate of 250. The batter also smashed 13 sixes and seven fours during his innings as India put up 247 runs on the board in their 150-run win. Here's list of records Abhishek Sharma broke in IND vs ENG 5th T20I 135 Runs - Abhishek's runs are now the highest T20I individual score for India, going past Shubman Gill's 126 not out against New Zealand in 2023. 37-ball Ton - Abhishek took 37 balls to reach his hundred - the second fastest for India behind Rohit Sharma's 35-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 2017. Also Read: England skipper Jos Buttler in awe of Abhishek Sharma 17-ball Fifty - Abhishek reached his fifty off just 17 balls - also the second fastest for India behind Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball effort against England in 2007 T20 World Cup. 13 Sixes - Abhishek hit 13 sixes in his innings - the most for India in a T20 innings by an individual. He went past Rohit's record of 10 sixes against Sri Lanka (2017) as well as Tilak Verma and Sanju Samson, who had also hit 10 sixes each against South Africa in 2024. 150-run Win - This is now India's second biggest win in T20Is in terms of runs behind 168-run win against New Zealand in 2023. 95/1 in Powerplay - This is also India's highest score in powerplay - going past 82 against Scotland in 2021. India's score is also the sixth highest overall. The batter, after the match, credited the coaches and captain for giving him the confidence. "You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,” Abhishek said about his innings after the match.

IND vs ENG: List of records broken by Abhishek Sharma in Mumbai T20I

England captain was in awe of India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Abhishek Sharma</a> after the fifth India vs England T20I in Mumbai on Sunday (Feb 2). Sharma played an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-5th-t20i-abhishek-sharma-smashes-record-books-as-india-hit-247-in-mumbai-8684526">innings of 135 off 54</a> balls at an astonishing strike rate of 250 with 13 sixes and seven fours. Thanks to him, India posted a huge total of 247 runs and won the match by 150 runs after dismissing England for a paltry 97.
"We're obviously disappointed," Buttler said about the loss at the post-match presentation. The England skipper, however, gave due credit to Sharma.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-5th-t20i-i-had-the-belief-that-on-my-day-i-will-play-an-innings-like-this-says-abhishek-sharma-8685028" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">IND vs ENG 5th T20I: 'This is the best I've...', feels Varun Chakravarthy on his performance</a>
"I've played quite a lot of cricket, and credit to Abhishek Sharma. That's as clean a ball-striking as I've seen. He played fantastically well. We always sit down and think what more could we have done. But some days, you have to give a lot of credit to the opposition. I thought he played brilliantly well," reckoned Buttler.
<h2>Abhishek credits coaches and captain for his innings</h2>
Abhishek, who bowls part time spin as well, took 2 wickets in one over and was rightfully declared Player of the Match.
&ldquo;You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,&rdquo; Abhishek said about his innings after the match
&ldquo;All these things calculate (work out well) at the end, and I had the belief that on my day, I will play an innings like this,&rdquo; he added.
During his innings, the young batter broke multiple records, including the second-fastest 50 and 100 for India. He had reached his fifty off just 17 balls&mdash;second fastest to his mentor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yuvraj-singh">Yuvraj Singh</a>'s 12-ball effort in 2007&mdash;and scored ton off 37 balls&mdash;right behind Rohit Sharma's 35-ball record for India.

IND vs ENG: Thanks to Abhishek Sharma, India posted a huge total of 247 runs and won the match by 150 runs after dismissing England for a paltry 97. Cricket Sports

England captain was in awe of India's Abhishek Sharma after the fifth India vs England T20I in Mumbai on Sunday (Feb 2). Sharma played an innings of 135 off 54 balls at an astonishing strike rate of 250 with 13 sixes and seven fours. Thanks to him, India posted a huge total of 247 runs and won the match by 150 runs after dismissing England for a paltry 97. "We're obviously disappointed," Buttler said about the loss at the post-match presentation. The England skipper, however, gave due credit to Sharma. Also Read: IND vs ENG 5th T20I: 'This is the best I've...', feels Varun Chakravarthy on his performance "I've played quite a lot of cricket, and credit to Abhishek Sharma. That's as clean a ball-striking as I've seen. He played fantastically well. We always sit down and think what more could we have done. But some days, you have to give a lot of credit to the opposition. I thought he played brilliantly well," reckoned Buttler. Abhishek credits coaches and captain for his innings Abhishek, who bowls part time spin as well, took 2 wickets in one over and was rightfully declared Player of the Match. “You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,” Abhishek said about his innings after the match “All these things calculate (work out well) at the end, and I had the belief that on my day, I will play an innings like this,” he added. During his innings, the young batter broke multiple records, including the second-fastest 50 and 100 for India. He had reached his fifty off just 17 balls—second fastest to his mentor Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball effort in 2007—and scored ton off 37 balls—right behind Rohit Sharma's 35-ball record for India.

IND vs ENG: 'As clean a ball-striking as...,' England skipper Jos Buttler in awe of Abhishek Sharma

India spinner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/varun-chakaravarthy">Varun Chakravarthy</a> on Sunday (Feb 3) opened up on his performance against England in the T20I series and said that this was the best he has bowled.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma">Abhishek Sharma</a>'s all-round performance in the match guided the hosts India to a historic victory over England in the fifth and final match of the series at the Wankhade Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. With this victory, India sealed the five-match series 4-1 after having already sealed the series.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Varun said that he was happy with his fielding efforts in the game on Sunday. The mystery spinner added that there's a lot of scope to improve on his bowling.
"I'm happy that the fielding also drew some applause, and the team has been emphasising on improving the fielding standards, and I've been working hard with the fielding coach Mr. Dilip. This is the best I've bowled, but lot of scope to improve, there were a few [bad] balls, I should not have bowled them. It was just a matter of bowling the right ball at the right time, that's what I was working on. This is very special, I would like to dedicate it to my son and my wife and my parents. I'd like to thank Surya and GG for backing me as well," Varun Chakravarthy was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-5th-t20i-i-had-the-belief-that-on-my-day-i-will-play-an-innings-like-this-says-abhishek-sharma-8685028">IND vs ENG 5th T20I: 'I had the belief that on my day, I will play an innings like this', says Abhishek Sharma</a>
<h2>Gambhir asserts India's fearless approach</h2>
India head coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gautam-gambhir">Gautam Gambhir</a> on Sunday said he has not seen a 'better T20 hundred' than Abhisek Sharma&rsquo;s 54-ball 135 against England here and asserted that the team will continue to play in a 'fearless' manner going forward.
"We are going to do this going forward, got to play fearless cricket. We want to keep backing players like Abhishek Sharma. We have to be patient to with these boys. Most of these boys believe in the ideology of playing fearless cricket,&rdquo; Gambhir told the broadcasters.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: Varun said that he was happy with his fielding efforts in the game on Sunday. The mystery spinner added that there's a lot of scope to improve on his bowling

India spinner Varun Chakravarthy on Sunday (Feb 3) opened up on his performance against England in the T20I series and said that this was the best he has bowled. Abhishek Sharma's all-round performance in the match guided the hosts India to a historic victory over England in the fifth and final match of the series at the Wankhade Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. With this victory, India sealed the five-match series 4-1 after having already sealed the series. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Varun said that he was happy with his fielding efforts in the game on Sunday. The mystery spinner added that there's a lot of scope to improve on his bowling. "I'm happy that the fielding also drew some applause, and the team has been emphasising on improving the fielding standards, and I've been working hard with the fielding coach Mr. Dilip. This is the best I've bowled, but lot of scope to improve, there were a few [bad] balls, I should not have bowled them. It was just a matter of bowling the right ball at the right time, that's what I was working on. This is very special, I would like to dedicate it to my son and my wife and my parents. I'd like to thank Surya and GG for backing me as well," Varun Chakravarthy was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying. Also Read: IND vs ENG 5th T20I: 'I had the belief that on my day, I will play an innings like this', says Abhishek Sharma Gambhir asserts India's fearless approach India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Sunday said he has not seen a 'better T20 hundred' than Abhisek Sharma’s 54-ball 135 against England here and asserted that the team will continue to play in a 'fearless' manner going forward. "We are going to do this going forward, got to play fearless cricket. We want to keep backing players like Abhishek Sharma. We have to be patient to with these boys. Most of these boys believe in the ideology of playing fearless cricket,” Gambhir told the broadcasters. (With inputs from agencies)

IND vs ENG 5th T20I: 'This is the best I've...', feels Varun Chakravarthy on his performance

India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma">Abhishek Sharma</a> hit a smashing 135 to set up a crushing 150-run win over England in the fifth T20 international and seal the series 4-1 on Sunday (Feb 2).&nbsp;
Opener Abhishek's incredible 54-ball knock, laced with 13 sixes, fired India, who clinched the series in the fourth T20 after scoring 247/9 batting first at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.
&ldquo;You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,&rdquo; Abhishek said in the post-match presser.
&ldquo;All these things calculate (work out well) at the end and I had the belief that on my day, I will play an innings like this,&rdquo; he said.
<h2>'I enjoyed pace of England fast bowlers'</h2>
Abhishek said he enjoyed using the pace of the England fast bowlers as well as hitting their leg-spinner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/adil-rashid">Adil Rashid</a> for a cumulative 13 sixes.
&ldquo;I do not remember half of them now to be honest,&rdquo; he quipped.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-5th-t20i-abhishek-sharma-smashes-record-books-as-india-hit-247-in-mumbai-8684526">IND vs ENG 5th T20I: Abhishek Sharma smashes record books as India hit 247 in Mumbai</a>
&ldquo;But the way I used the pace of the bowlers over covers or even against Adil Rashid&hellip; it felt good. I try to generate the match scenarios in nets and use the bowlers the way I am going to face in the match,&rdquo; Abhishek said.
The 24-year-old credited India great <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yuvraj-singh">Yuvraj Singh</a> for his support throughout the journey and said his special celebrations after completing his second T20I century were meant for his family.
&ldquo;My mother and sister are here for the match and when your parents are here and you play an innings like that in front of them, it makes you feel happy and proud for being able to share such a moment,&rdquo; he said.
The hard-hitting batsman said there is no feeling of competitiveness or insecurity between other contenders like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
&ldquo;I met Jaiswal and Shubman yesterday (on Saturday). We are playing together since U-16, there is no such feeling. The only dream was to play for India and since all three of us are playing there is no bigger thing than that,&rdquo; he said.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: Abhishek's incredible 54-ball knock, laced with 13 sixes, fired India, who clinched the series in the fourth T20, to 247-9 after being put to bat first 

India's Abhishek Sharma hit a smashing 135 to set up a crushing 150-run win over England in the fifth T20 international and seal the series 4-1 on Sunday (Feb 2). Opener Abhishek's incredible 54-ball knock, laced with 13 sixes, fired India, who clinched the series in the fourth T20 after scoring 247/9 batting first at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. “You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,” Abhishek said in the post-match presser. “All these things calculate (work out well) at the end and I had the belief that on my day, I will play an innings like this,” he said. 'I enjoyed pace of England fast bowlers' Abhishek said he enjoyed using the pace of the England fast bowlers as well as hitting their leg-spinner Adil Rashid for a cumulative 13 sixes. “I do not remember half of them now to be honest,” he quipped. Also Read: IND vs ENG 5th T20I: Abhishek Sharma smashes record books as India hit 247 in Mumbai “But the way I used the pace of the bowlers over covers or even against Adil Rashid… it felt good. I try to generate the match scenarios in nets and use the bowlers the way I am going to face in the match,” Abhishek said. The 24-year-old credited India great Yuvraj Singh for his support throughout the journey and said his special celebrations after completing his second T20I century were meant for his family. “My mother and sister are here for the match and when your parents are here and you play an innings like that in front of them, it makes you feel happy and proud for being able to share such a moment,” he said. The hard-hitting batsman said there is no feeling of competitiveness or insecurity between other contenders like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. “I met Jaiswal and Shubman yesterday (on Saturday). We are playing together since U-16, there is no such feeling. The only dream was to play for India and since all three of us are playing there is no bigger thing than that,” he said. (With inputs from agencies)

IND vs ENG 5th T20I: I believed that on my day, I will play an innings like this, says Abhishek Sharma

India's Abhishek Sharma hit a brutal 135 to set up a crushing 150-run win over England in the fifth T20 international and seal the series 4-1 on Sunday. Opener Abhishek's incredible 54-ball knock, laced with 13 sixes, fired India, who clinched the series in the fourth T20, to 247-9 after being invited to bat first at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.<o:p></o:p>
The tourists were never in the chase despite Phil Salt's 23-ball 55 as India bowled out the tourists for 97 for their second biggest T20 victory by runs.<o:p></o:p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m6nvy4yy-s4re3a4m-gqyhhmmu">
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜! 🏆 Congratulations to the Suryakumar Yadav-led <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> on the T20I series win! 👏 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/IDFCFIRSTBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IDFCFIRSTBank</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/surya_14kumar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@surya_14kumar</a> <a href="https://t.co/QvgUH8iClq">pic.twitter.com/QvgUH8iClq</a>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1886099661452411295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-5th-t20i-abhishek-sharma-smashes-record-books-as-india-hit-247-in-mumbai-8684526" rel="dofollow">IND vs ENG 5th T20I: Abhishek Sharma smashes record books as India hit 247 in Mumbai</a> 
England slipped to 68-4 as skipper Jos Buttler (7), Harry Brook (2) and Liam Livingstone (9) all failed to make an impact.<o:p></o:p>
Shivam Dube, a batting all-rounder who bowls medium pace, removed Salt with the first ball he bowled after he was controversially replaced by fast bowler Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute in the previous match.<o:p></o:p>
The rest of the England batting fell quickly with Jacob Bethell, who made 10, the only batter to reach double figures other than Salt.<o:p></o:p>
Abhishek turned up with the ball as well and took two wickets with his left-arm spin in the only over he bowled.<o:p></o:p>
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Dube also took two each.<o:p></o:p>
Pace bowler Mohammed Shami finished with three wickets as he wrapped up the England innings in 10.3 overs.<o:p></o:p>
Abhishek dominated a partnership of 115 for the second wicket with Tilak Varma following England's decision to bowl first.<o:p></o:p>
The 24-year-old raced to his fifty in 17 balls with a six and then reached his second T20 century for India in 37 deliveries. Dube was the next highest scorer with 30.<o:p></o:p>
Speedster Mark Wood dismissed Hardik Pandya for nine after earlier removing opener Sanju Samson.<o:p></o:p>
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid had Abhishek caught out in the 18th over as India lost four wickets in the final five overs.<o:p></o:p>
Fast bowler Brydon Carse took three wickets including Suryakumar Yadav for two, with the Indian captain's batting woes showing no signs of ending.<o:p></o:p>
India won the opening two matches before England came back to keep the series alive in the third game.<o:p></o:p>
India took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the fourth T20 after Rana's inclusion in place of Dube -- not a like-for-like replacement -- angered England.<o:p></o:p>
The two teams now head into three one-day internationals starting February 6 in Nagpur.<o:p></o:p>
The series is a warm-up for the 50-over Champions Trophy starting February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai.<o:p></o:p>

Sports, Cricket: The tourists were never in the chase despite Phil Salt's 23-ball 55 as India bowled out the tourists for 97 for their second biggest T20 victory by runs.

India's Abhishek Sharma hit a brutal 135 to set up a crushing 150-run win over England in the fifth T20 international and seal the series 4-1 on Sunday. Opener Abhishek's incredible 54-ball knock, laced with 13 sixes, fired India, who clinched the series in the fourth T20, to 247-9 after being invited to bat first at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. The tourists were never in the chase despite Phil Salt's 23-ball 55 as India bowled out the tourists for 97 for their second biggest T20 victory by runs. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜! 🏆 Congratulations to the Suryakumar Yadav-led #TeamIndia on the T20I series win! 👏 👏#INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @surya_14kumar pic.twitter.com/QvgUH8iClq — BCCI (@BCCI) February 2, 2025 Also read | IND vs ENG 5th T20I: Abhishek Sharma smashes record books as India hit 247 in Mumbai England slipped to 68-4 as skipper Jos Buttler (7), Harry Brook (2) and Liam Livingstone (9) all failed to make an impact. Shivam Dube, a batting all-rounder who bowls medium pace, removed Salt with the first ball he bowled after he was controversially replaced by fast bowler Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute in the previous match. The rest of the England batting fell quickly with Jacob Bethell, who made 10, the only batter to reach double figures other than Salt. Abhishek turned up with the ball as well and took two wickets with his left-arm spin in the only over he bowled. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Dube also took two each. Pace bowler Mohammed Shami finished with three wickets as he wrapped up the England innings in 10.3 overs. Abhishek dominated a partnership of 115 for the second wicket with Tilak Varma following England's decision to bowl first. The 24-year-old raced to his fifty in 17 balls with a six and then reached his second T20 century for India in 37 deliveries. Dube was the next highest scorer with 30. Speedster Mark Wood dismissed Hardik Pandya for nine after earlier removing opener Sanju Samson. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid had Abhishek caught out in the 18th over as India lost four wickets in the final five overs. Fast bowler Brydon Carse took three wickets including Suryakumar Yadav for two, with the Indian captain's batting woes showing no signs of ending. India won the opening two matches before England came back to keep the series alive in the third game. India took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the fourth T20 after Rana's inclusion in place of Dube -- not a like-for-like replacement -- angered England. The two teams now head into three one-day internationals starting February 6 in Nagpur. The series is a warm-up for the 50-over Champions Trophy starting February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai.

Abhishek Sharma shines in Mumbai as India crush England in 5th T20I, win series

India's Abhishek Sharma smashed 135 runs, plundering the England bowling with 13 sixes, to power India to 247-9 in the fifth and final T20 international on Sunday. The left-handed opener Abhishek came out firing in a 54-ball knock after England won the toss and asked India to bat first at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.<o:p></o:p>
The hosts already hold an unbeatable 3-1 series lead.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-2025-round-up-jk-seal-spot-in-quarterfinals-services-sign-off-with-second-highest-run-chase-8684082" rel="dofollow">Ranji Trophy 2025 round-up: J&amp;K seal spot in quarterfinals; Services sign off with second-highest run-chase</a> 
England's bowlers checked the run surge in the final few overs, with the total at one stage looking likely to exceed 300. India were 143-2 after 10 overs.<o:p></o:p>
Fast bowler Brydon Carse took three wickets including Suryakumar Yadav for two, with the Indian captain's batting woes showing no signs of ending.<o:p></o:p>
Abhishek was brutal and, with Tilak Varma (24), took 25 runs from one Jamie Overton over, the pair putting on 115 runs for the second wicket.<o:p></o:p>
The 24-year-old raced to his fifty in 17 balls with a six and then reached his second T20 century for India in 37 deliveries. Shivam Dube was the next highest scorer with 30.<o:p></o:p>
Speedster Mark Wood dismissed Hardik Pandya for nine after earlier removing opener Sanju Samson.<o:p></o:p>
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid had Abhishek caught out in the 18th over as India lost four wickets in the final five overs.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Cricket: Abhishek was brutal and, with Tilak Varma (24), took 25 runs from one Jamie Overton over, the pair putting on 115 runs for the second wicket.

India's Abhishek Sharma smashed 135 runs, plundering the England bowling with 13 sixes, to power India to 247-9 in the fifth and final T20 international on Sunday. The left-handed opener Abhishek came out firing in a 54-ball knock after England won the toss and asked India to bat first at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. The hosts already hold an unbeatable 3-1 series lead. Also read | Ranji Trophy 2025 round-up: J&K seal spot in quarterfinals; Services sign off with second-highest run-chase England's bowlers checked the run surge in the final few overs, with the total at one stage looking likely to exceed 300. India were 143-2 after 10 overs. Fast bowler Brydon Carse took three wickets including Suryakumar Yadav for two, with the Indian captain's batting woes showing no signs of ending. Abhishek was brutal and, with Tilak Varma (24), took 25 runs from one Jamie Overton over, the pair putting on 115 runs for the second wicket. The 24-year-old raced to his fifty in 17 balls with a six and then reached his second T20 century for India in 37 deliveries. Shivam Dube was the next highest scorer with 30. Speedster Mark Wood dismissed Hardik Pandya for nine after earlier removing opener Sanju Samson. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid had Abhishek caught out in the 18th over as India lost four wickets in the final five overs. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

IND vs ENG 5th T20I: Abhishek Sharma smashes record books as India hit 247 in Mumbai

Team India could have a major scare as they prepare for the second T20I against England on Saturday (Jan 25) with Abhishek Sharma reportedly injured in training. According to media reports, Abhishek did not bat in training due to an injury he sustained on Friday after twisting his ankle. Abhishek is India&rsquo;s first-choice opener alongside Sanju Samson and is highly unlikely to play in the Chennai T20I.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Abhishek doubtful for Chennai T20I</h2>
According to a report from Cricbuzz, Abhishek twisted his ankle in training, making him unavailable for batting on the eve of the Chennai T20I. In case he is unable to recover, the Indian team management will have to search for a replacement as they look to extend their lead in the series. India won the opening T20I by seven wickets, where Abhishek scored 79 runs and was the architect-in-chief with the bat.
Sanju Samson scored 26 off 20 before Tilak Varma (19) and Hardik Pandya (3) completed the formalities.
At the time of writing, the team management had yet to comment on the situation, meaning Abhishek is not officially ruled out of the Chennai contest.
ALSO READ | <a href="Australian%20Open:%20Zverev%20reacts%20at%20crowd's%20jeering%20after%20Djokovic%20pulls%20out,%20says%20&lsquo;please%20guys,%20don't%20boo&rsquo;" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Australian Open: Zverev reacts at crowd's jeering after Djokovic pulls out, says &lsquo;please guys, don't boo&rsquo;</a>
In case the versatile SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter is ruled out, India could promote Tilak Varma to the opener&rsquo;s position. Rinku Singh also remains a candidate to open the Indian innings in case Abhishek misses out.
A win for India will take them one more step towards winning the five-match T20I series, while England will have plenty of work to do on the field. The English side is one of the favourites to win the Champions Trophy starting on February 19 and will look to build momentum for the tournament.
The contest will start at 7:00 PM, with the toss taking place at 6:30 PM IST at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Sports, Cricket: According to media reports, Abhishek Sharma did not bat on Friday in training due to a twisted ankle. He is now unlikely to be available for the Chennai T20I. 

Team India could have a major scare as they prepare for the second T20I against England on Saturday (Jan 25) with Abhishek Sharma reportedly injured in training. According to media reports, Abhishek did not bat in training due to an injury he sustained on Friday after twisting his ankle. Abhishek is India’s first-choice opener alongside Sanju Samson and is highly unlikely to play in the Chennai T20I. Abhishek doubtful for Chennai T20I According to a report from Cricbuzz, Abhishek twisted his ankle in training, making him unavailable for batting on the eve of the Chennai T20I. In case he is unable to recover, the Indian team management will have to search for a replacement as they look to extend their lead in the series. India won the opening T20I by seven wickets, where Abhishek scored 79 runs and was the architect-in-chief with the bat. Sanju Samson scored 26 off 20 before Tilak Varma (19) and Hardik Pandya (3) completed the formalities. At the time of writing, the team management had yet to comment on the situation, meaning Abhishek is not officially ruled out of the Chennai contest. ALSO READ | Australian Open: Zverev reacts at crowd's jeering after Djokovic pulls out, says ‘please guys, don't boo’ In case the versatile SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter is ruled out, India could promote Tilak Varma to the opener’s position. Rinku Singh also remains a candidate to open the Indian innings in case Abhishek misses out. A win for India will take them one more step towards winning the five-match T20I series, while England will have plenty of work to do on the field. The English side is one of the favourites to win the Champions Trophy starting on February 19 and will look to build momentum for the tournament. The contest will start at 7:00 PM, with the toss taking place at 6:30 PM IST at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

IND vs ENG: Abhishek Sharma twists right ankle in training, doubtful for Chennai T20I - Report

Most sixes in a T20I knock by Indian batsman while chasing 

7. Tilak Varma-6 sixes

6. Axar Patel-6 sixes

5. Suryakumar Yadav-6 sixes

4. Virat Kohli-6 sixes

3. Rohit Sharma-6 sixes

2. Rohit Sharma-6 sixes

1. Abhishek Sharma-8 sixes

Sports, Cricket: After Abhishek Sharma hit eight sixes against England during the first T20I on Wednesday (Jan 22), here is the list of Indian batsman hitting maximum number of sixes in a T20I while chasing

Most sixes in a T20I knock by Indian batsman while chasing

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma">Abhishek Sharma</a> scored a magnificent 79 off 34 balls against England in the first T20I in Kolkata on Wednesday (Jan 22), slamming eight maximums and five fours, powering <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-1st-t20i-live-score-today-india-vs-england-latest-scorecard-jan-22-ind-vs-eng-playing-xi-prediction-pitch-report-toss-timing-venue-eden-gardens-kolkata-8644275">India to a seven-wicket win</a> with 43 balls to spare. The rookie opener reflected on his performance, crediting the management for supporting him throughout, allowing him to play aggressively yet freely.
Understanding the fight for the opener's spot in India, especially in the shortest format, Abhishek admitted that the captain and the coach backed him to keep his intent, boosting his confidence.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-1st-t20i-abhishek-sharma-20-ball-fifty-equals-yuvraj-singh-record-india-beat-england-by-7-wickets-8645304" rel="dofollow">IND vs ENG, 1st T20I: Abhishek Sharma equals Yuvraj Singh's record in India's win</a>
"I have thought always from the start to be a team player," Abhishek said after the 1st T20I against England.&nbsp;
"In India, there will always be a lot of competition [when it comes to selection] in our senior team. But when Suryakumar [Yadav, the T20I captain] and Gautam [Gambhir] paaji tell me to always keep my intent, that was a big moment for me, that when the team wants me to do that, then I can do it,&rdquo; he added.
Reflecting on the support he got from the management, Abhishek said,&nbsp;
"As a batsman, it can play on your mind if you don't score runs in three-four-five innings, but the way the coach and captain have managed all the players, even when I've not done well - even then they tell us, 'we know you're going to win the game for us, any game, just go and express yourself' - I think when the captain or coach say this, you get confidence and you back yourself.&rdquo;
<h2>Experience working with Yuvraj Singh</h2>
Indian cricket legend <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/yuvraj-singh">Yuvraj Singh</a> took Abhishek Sharma under his wings during the Covid period, transforming him into a T20 beast, something the youngster appreciates and feels grateful for.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m68ua4di-8ir6oit9-4oi4bni6">
Good start to the series boys ! 🇮🇳 great tone set by our bowlers and well played sir !@IamAbhiSharma4 top knock &lsquo;!! I&rsquo;m impressed you hit 2 boundaries down the ground aswell 🤪! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/indiavsengland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#indiavsengland</a>
&mdash; Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) <a href="https://twitter.com/YUVSTRONG12/status/1882125605204009246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
Talking in detail about how far he had come from being a prospect to becoming one of the most-feared top-order batters in T20 cricket, Abhishek said,
"I believe I'm very lucky in this," he said.&nbsp;
"I was working with Yuvi paaji [Yuvraj Singh] at first. Going forward, I had Brian Lara, who really helped me at SRH. Moving forward, Dan Vettori was pretty simple, he just wanted everyone to express themselves, and I think that gave me the freedom to play my shots. So obviously, with Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara and even Gauti bhai right now, they just want me to showcase my talent the way I play and to back myself,&rdquo; he continued.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, India drew first blood in this five-match T20I series, with their next game scheduled for Saturday (Jan 25) in Chennai.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: Understanding the fight for the opener's spot in India, Abhishek admitted that the captain and the coach backed him to keep his intent, boosting his confidence.


Abhishek Sharma scored a magnificent 79 off 34 balls against England in the first T20I in Kolkata on Wednesday (Jan 22), slamming eight maximums and five fours, powering India to a seven-wicket win with 43 balls to spare. The rookie opener reflected on his performance, crediting the management for supporting him throughout, allowing him to play aggressively yet freely. Understanding the fight for the opener's spot in India, especially in the shortest format, Abhishek admitted that the captain and the coach backed him to keep his intent, boosting his confidence. Also read | IND vs ENG, 1st T20I: Abhishek Sharma equals Yuvraj Singh's record in India's win "I have thought always from the start to be a team player," Abhishek said after the 1st T20I against England. "In India, there will always be a lot of competition [when it comes to selection] in our senior team. But when Suryakumar [Yadav, the T20I captain] and Gautam [Gambhir] paaji tell me to always keep my intent, that was a big moment for me, that when the team wants me to do that, then I can do it,” he added. Reflecting on the support he got from the management, Abhishek said, "As a batsman, it can play on your mind if you don't score runs in three-four-five innings, but the way the coach and captain have managed all the players, even when I've not done well - even then they tell us, 'we know you're going to win the game for us, any game, just go and express yourself' - I think when the captain or coach say this, you get confidence and you back yourself.” Experience working with Yuvraj Singh Indian cricket legend Yuvraj Singh took Abhishek Sharma under his wings during the Covid period, transforming him into a T20 beast, something the youngster appreciates and feels grateful for. Good start to the series boys ! 🇮🇳 great tone set by our bowlers and well played sir !@IamAbhiSharma4 top knock ‘!! I’m impressed you hit 2 boundaries down the ground aswell 🤪! #indiavsengland — Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) January 22, 2025 Talking in detail about how far he had come from being a prospect to becoming one of the most-feared top-order batters in T20 cricket, Abhishek said, "I believe I'm very lucky in this," he said. "I was working with Yuvi paaji [Yuvraj Singh] at first. Going forward, I had Brian Lara, who really helped me at SRH. Moving forward, Dan Vettori was pretty simple, he just wanted everyone to express themselves, and I think that gave me the freedom to play my shots. So obviously, with Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara and even Gauti bhai right now, they just want me to showcase my talent the way I play and to back myself,” he continued. Meanwhile, India drew first blood in this five-match T20I series, with their next game scheduled for Saturday (Jan 25) in Chennai. (With inputs from agencies)

Abhishek Sharma reflects on management’s support after 1st T20I heroics

India batter Abhishek Sharma smashed 20-ball fifty in IND vs ENG 1st T20I on Wednesday (Jan 22) in Kolkata on his way to 34-ball 79. Abhishek's innings helped India win the match by seven wickets and take 1-0 lead the five-T20I series. The left-hand batter hit eight sixes and five fours in his innings and equalled his mentor Yuvraj Singh's record as well.
Chasing 133, Abhishek added 41 runs for the first wicket with Sanju Samson (26 off 20 balls). England pacer Jofra Archer then removed Samson and skipper Suryakumar Yadav in space of three balls to give his team an opening.
Also Read: IND vs ENG 1st T20I HIGHLIGHTS: India beat England by 7 wickets
Abhishek, however, took the charge of the innings and added 84 runs for the third wicket with Tilak Varma (19 off 16 not out). By the time he was out India were just eight runs away from the target. Watch the shots below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Abhishek Sharma weaving magic and how! 🪄 Follow The Match ▶️ https://t.co/4jwTIC5zzs #TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IamAbhiSharma4 | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/5xhtG6IN1F
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2025</blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Abhishek equals mentor Yuvraj's record</h2>
During his innings, Abhishek also equalled his mentor Yuvraj Singh's record who had also hit 20-ball fifties twice in his career, against Australia in 2007 and against Sri Lanka in 2009. Abhishek's 20-ball fifty is also the joint fourth fastest for India along with Yuvraj and Axar Patel (vs SL in 2023).
The 20-ball fifty is also the second fastest for India against England in T20Is behind Yuvraj's magnificent 12-ball fifty in 2007 T20 World Cup.
Abhishek also explained his big hitting and said during the post-match presentation: "I practice my trigger movements before the match, I knew they'd bowl short and check my patience."
<h2>India spinners tame England</h2>
Earlier, skipper Suryakumar won the toss and elected to bowl first because of dew at Eden Gardens. His decision was proved right quickly as Arshdeep Singh took two wickets inside powerplay and became India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy then took three wickets, including two in one over, as England failed to get any momentum despite English skipper Jos Buttler's 68.
The second match of the series is scheduled to be played on January 25 in Chennai.

IND vs ENG, 1st T20I: India batter Abhishek Sharma smashed 20-ball fifty on his way to 34-ball 79 including eight sixes and five fours as India won by 7 wickets. Cricket Sports

India batter Abhishek Sharma smashed 20-ball fifty in IND vs ENG 1st T20I on Wednesday (Jan 22) in Kolkata on his way to 34-ball 79. Abhishek's innings helped India win the match by seven wickets and take 1-0 lead the five-T20I series. The left-hand batter hit eight sixes and five fours in his innings and equalled his mentor Yuvraj Singh's record as well. Chasing 133, Abhishek added 41 runs for the first wicket with Sanju Samson (26 off 20 balls). England pacer Jofra Archer then removed Samson and skipper Suryakumar Yadav in space of three balls to give his team an opening. Also Read: IND vs ENG 1st T20I HIGHLIGHTS: India beat England by 7 wickets Abhishek, however, took the charge of the innings and added 84 runs for the third wicket with Tilak Varma (19 off 16 not out). By the time he was out India were just eight runs away from the target. Watch the shots below: Abhishek Sharma weaving magic and how! 🪄 Follow The Match ▶️ https://t.co/4jwTIC5zzs #TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IamAbhiSharma4 | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/5xhtG6IN1F — BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2025 Abhishek equals mentor Yuvraj's record During his innings, Abhishek also equalled his mentor Yuvraj Singh's record who had also hit 20-ball fifties twice in his career, against Australia in 2007 and against Sri Lanka in 2009. Abhishek's 20-ball fifty is also the joint fourth fastest for India along with Yuvraj and Axar Patel (vs SL in 2023). The 20-ball fifty is also the second fastest for India against England in T20Is behind Yuvraj's magnificent 12-ball fifty in 2007 T20 World Cup. Abhishek also explained his big hitting and said during the post-match presentation: "I practice my trigger movements before the match, I knew they'd bowl short and check my patience." India spinners tame England Earlier, skipper Suryakumar won the toss and elected to bowl first because of dew at Eden Gardens. His decision was proved right quickly as Arshdeep Singh took two wickets inside powerplay and became India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy then took three wickets, including two in one over, as England failed to get any momentum despite English skipper Jos Buttler's 68. The second match of the series is scheduled to be played on January 25 in Chennai.

IND vs ENG, 1st T20I: Abhishek Sharma equals Yuvraj Singh's record in India's win

Abhishek Sharma, on Thursday (Dec. 5), smashed the joint-fastest T20 century by an Indian, alongside Urvil Patel of Gujarat. In Punjab's run-chase of 143 versus Meghalaya, in the ongoing 2024/25 Syed Mustaq Ali Tournament (SMAT), captain Abhishek -- who is the opener for India in T20Is and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL -- made merry and scored an unbeaten 106 (off 29 balls), with his inning comprising 8 fours and 11 sixes. With this knock, the swashbuckling left-hander entered the record books.

In addition, Abhishek joined 26-year-old Urvil to become the joint-fastest centurion in T20s as an Indian. Urvil achieved the feat in the ongoing SMAT, where he smashed an unbeaten 113 off 35 balls&nbsp;with 7 fours and 12 sixes, helping Gujarat chase down 156 versus Tripura with 9.4 overs to spare.&nbsp;

Talking about Abhishek, he was in his elements from the word go. Courtesy of his knock, Punjab thrashed Meghalaya by seven wickets with 63 balls left. The left-hander, who has had a great run in T20s, struck at a whopping strike rate of 365.52.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy-baroda-smash-record-books-with-349-runs-vs-sikkim-bhanu-pania-top-scores-with-134-781649">Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Baroda smash record books with 349 runs vs Sikkim; Bhanu Pania top scores with 134</a>

Moreover, Abhishek also registered the most T20 sixes by an Indian in a calendar year following his latest blitz.

Most 6s by an Indian in a year

87- Abhishek Sharma in 2024 
85- Suryakumar Yadav in 2022 
71- Suryakumar Yadav in 2023

Punjab are now in the fourth spot in Group A, with 20 points. From seven games, they have four wins and two losses.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Baroda also smashed the record for highest team total in T20 history, ending with a superb 349/5 courtesy of Bhanu Pania's 134*. They went on to beat Sikkim by a humongous 263-run margin on Thursday.

Abhishek Sharma, on Thursday (Dec. 5), smashed the joint-fastest T20 century by an Indian, alongside Urvil Patel of Gujarat. In Punjab's run-chase of 143 versus Meghalaya, in the ongoing 2024/25 Syed Mustaq Ali Tournament (SMAT), captain Abhishek -- who is the opener for India in T20Is and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL -- made merry and scored an unbeaten 106 (off 29 balls), with his inning comprising 8 fours and 11 sixes.

Abhishek Sharma, on Thursday (Dec. 5), smashed the joint-fastest T20 century by an Indian, alongside Urvil Patel of Gujarat. In Punjab's run-chase of 143 versus Meghalaya, in the ongoing 2024/25 Syed Mustaq Ali Tournament (SMAT), captain Abhishek -- who is the opener for India in T20Is and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL -- made merry and scored an unbeaten 106 (off 29 balls), with his inning comprising 8 fours and 11 sixes. With this knock, the swashbuckling left-hander entered the record books. In addition, Abhishek joined 26-year-old Urvil to become the joint-fastest centurion in T20s as an Indian. Urvil achieved the feat in the ongoing SMAT, where he smashed an unbeaten 113 off 35 balls with 7 fours and 12 sixes, helping Gujarat chase down 156 versus Tripura with 9.4 overs to spare. Talking about Abhishek, he was in his elements from the word go. Courtesy of his knock, Punjab thrashed Meghalaya by seven wickets with 63 balls left. The left-hander, who has had a great run in T20s, struck at a whopping strike rate of 365.52. Also read: Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Baroda smash record books with 349 runs vs Sikkim; Bhanu Pania top scores with 134 Moreover, Abhishek also registered the most T20 sixes by an Indian in a calendar year following his latest blitz. Most 6s by an Indian in a year 87- Abhishek Sharma in 2024 85- Suryakumar Yadav in 2022 71- Suryakumar Yadav in 2023 Punjab are now in the fourth spot in Group A, with 20 points. From seven games, they have four wins and two losses. Meanwhile, Baroda also smashed the record for highest team total in T20 history, ending with a superb 349/5 courtesy of Bhanu Pania's 134*. They went on to beat Sikkim by a humongous 263-run margin on Thursday.

SMAT: Abhishek Sharma smashes record, scores joint-fastest T20 century by an Indian as Punjab beat Meghalaya

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SMAT: Abhishek Sharma smashes record, scores joint-fastest T20 century by an Indian as Punjab beat Meghalaya