April 13, 2025: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s explosive opening pair — Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head — earned high praise from former cricketers Matthew Hayden and Robin Uthappa after their stunning 171-run partnership powered SRH to a record-breaking chase against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025.
In a high-stakes match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, SRH was tasked with chasing a mammoth 246-run target. What followed was a masterclass in tactical T20 batting, orchestrated by Abhishek and Head in just 12.2 overs. While Head played the anchor with a composed 66 off 37 balls, it was Abhishek who stole the spotlight with a sensational 141 off 55 deliveries — the highest individual score by an Indian in IPL history.
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden, speaking on JioHotstar, described the stand as “a beautiful, measured partnership.”
“Travis Head spoke in the post-match interview about how they operated in slightly different modes — Abhishek was set to take on the spinners, while Head tackled the pace. That kind of clarity in a chase this massive is rare in T20 cricket,” Hayden said, lauding their approach.
Robin Uthappa echoed Hayden’s sentiments, highlighting the maturity of the knock.
“They weren’t just swinging blindly. There was intent, but also planning. It shows how much Abhishek has grown as a player. You don’t chase 246 without a calculated approach, and they did it perfectly,” Uthappa noted.
Abhishek’s knock included 14 fours and 10 sixes, and he scored a staggering 116 of his 141 runs in boundaries. His performance broke several records — including surpassing KL Rahul’s 132* as the highest score by an Indian in IPL history and David Warner’s record for most sixes in a single SRH innings.
The 24-year-old left-hander also pulled off a heartfelt celebration by revealing a handwritten note from his pocket that read: “This one is for Orange Army.”
The knock not only halted SRH’s losing streak but has also injected fresh momentum into their IPL 2025 campaign, pushing them back into contention in the points table. With this win, SRH will next face Mumbai Indians on April 17 at Wankhede Stadium.
As Hayden aptly put it: “They were down three hours ago, and now they’ve risen like a phoenix. That’s the beauty of cricket.”