Abhishek’s 135* Turns Hyderabad
Into a Six-Hitting Spectacle
In a performance that left the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium crowd breathless, Abhishek Sharma crafted his ninth T20 century — an unbeaten 135 from 68 balls studded with 10 fours and 10 sixes — as Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 242/2 and then defended it comfortably to beat Delhi Capitals by 47 runs. This was SRH at their most devastating, and Hyderabad’s most electric T20 night of IPL 2026.
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad — Abhishek Sharma’s 135* on this ground will be remembered as one of the great IPL innings of 2026
SRH Innings — 242 / 2 (20 Overs)
DC captain Axar Patel won the toss and elected to bowl — the logical call at a venue where chasing teams have historically had an advantage. What followed was anything but predictable. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batting unit turned the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium into an exhibition of pure T20 power, registering their highest total of IPL 2026 and one of the highest in SRH’s modern history.
Travis Head set the tone with 37 off 26, before being caught in the 9th over. But from the very first ball, it was Abhishek Sharma who owned the evening. He accelerated through his first 27 balls for 58, then shifted into another gear entirely alongside Ishan Kishan — adding 79 runs in the next 35 balls. With Kishan run out for 25 in the 15th over, in came Heinrich Klaasen. What happened next bordered on the absurd. Klaasen hit 37 off 13 balls — strike rate 284.62 — while Abhishek simultaneously completed his century and then kept going. The partnership added 66 from 32 deliveries. SRH finished on 242/2 with 16 sixes in total. It was carnage.
Abhishek Sharma ended unbeaten on 135 off 68 balls — 10 fours, 10 sixes, strike rate 198.53. It was his ninth T20 century, his highest IPL score, and the highest score in SRH vs DC head-to-head history.
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Head | c Rizvi b Axar Patel | 37 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 142.31 |
| Abhishek Sharma ★ (not out) | — | 135 | 68 | 10 | 10 | 198.53 |
| Ishan Kishan (c) | run out (Nitish Rana) | 25 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 192.31 |
| Heinrich Klaasen (not out) | — | 37 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 284.62 |
FOW: 97-1 (Head, 8.5) · 176-2 (Kishan, 14.4)
Key Partnership: Abhishek & Klaasen — 66 runs off 32 balls (unbroken, overs 14.5–20)
DC Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axar Patel (c) | 2 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 11.50 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 2 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 15.00 |
| Lungi Ngidi | 4 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 10.25 |
| Mukesh Kumar | 4 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 13.25 |
| Nitish Rana | 4 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 13.75 |
| T Natarajan | 4 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 10.00 |
The SRH batting unit left DC’s bowlers shellshocked in Hyderabad on April 21, 2026
DC Chase — 195 / 9 (20 Overs)
Chasing 243, Delhi Capitals needed something extraordinary from the first ball. They began decently — Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul put on 21 before Nissanka fell to Dilshan Madushanka for 8 in the third over. Rahul and Nitish Rana then built a 86-run partnership that gave DC genuine hope — Rana was particularly brilliant, smashing 57 off 30 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes.
But Eshan Malinga proved to be the match-turning bowler. He dismissed Nitish Rana and David Miller in back-to-back balls in the 11th over — a double-strike that ended DC’s realistic chase in an instant. Rana gone for 57, Miller first ball for 0. The required run rate was now impossible. Sameer Rizvi (41 off 28) and Tristan Stubbs (27 off 16) fought hard in the middle overs, but SRH’s bowling held firm. Harsh Dubey’s final over was a masterpiece — 3/2 in the 20th over, dismissing Axar Patel, Sameer Rizvi and Lungi Ngidi to bring the celebrations home. DC finished on 195/9 — a score that would have won most matches, but SRH had simply batted from another planet.
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | c Salil Arora b Madushanka | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 133.33 |
| KL Rahul (wk) | c Abhishek Sharma b Sakib Hussain | 37 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 160.87 |
| Nitish Rana ★ | c Abhishek Sharma b Malinga | 57 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 190.00 |
| David Miller | b Malinga | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Sameer Rizvi | c Madushanka b Harsh Dubey | 41 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 146.43 |
| Tristan Stubbs | c Sakib Hussain b Malinga | 27 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 168.75 |
| Ashutosh Sharma | c (sub) b Sakib Hussain | 14 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 140.00 |
| Axar Patel (c) | c Nitish Reddy b Harsh Dubey | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Kuldeep Yadav (not out) | — | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Lungi Ngidi | c Madushanka b Harsh Dubey | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
FOW: 21-1 (Nissanka, 2.1) · 107-2 (Rahul, 9.4) · 107-3 (Rana, 10.1) · 107-4 (Miller, 10.2) · 166-5 (Stubbs, 15.5) · 186-6 (Ashutosh, 17.6) · 192-7 (Axar, 19.1) · 195-8 (Rizvi, 19.5) · 195-9 (Ngidi, 19.6)
SRH Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eshan Malinga ★ | 4 | 0 | 32 | 4 | 8.00 |
| Harsh Dubey (3 wkts in final over) | 2 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 6.00 |
| Dilshan Madushanka | 4 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 9.00 |
| Sakib Hussain | 4 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 7.25 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 4 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 14.25 |
| Shivang Kumar | 2 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 14.00 |
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad — Eshan Malinga’s 4/32, including the match-turning double-wicket over that ended DC’s chase
Man of the Match
There are innings that win matches, and there are innings that define seasons. Abhishek Sharma’s 135 not out belongs in the second category. He came in at the top of the order and never stopped attacking — not against Axar Patel’s left-arm spin, not against Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist-spin, not against Lungi Ngidi’s pace. He hit 10 sixes in the second powerplay and death overs phase — a statistic that speaks to the ruthlessness of his acceleration. His 97-run opening partnership with Travis Head gave SRH a platform; his 79-run stand with Ishan Kishan made the total dangerous; and his 66-run unbroken stand with Klaasen made it insurmountable. Every phase of the innings, Abhishek was there — dominant, relentless, magnificent.
Star Performers
How the Match Unfolded
Toss & Team News: Axar Patel won the toss and elected to bowl — the decision any captain would make at this venue. DC made one change: Auqib Nabi dropped, Nitish Rana came in. SRH made two changes: Praful Hinge out, Dilshan Madushanka back in; Harsh Dubey returned replacing Liam Livingstone.
SRH Powerplay — The Foundation: Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head attacked from ball one. Head’s 37 off 26 gave SRH momentum, but Abhishek was the one who never dropped anchor. At the end of six overs, SRH were 72/0 and running at 12 per over. Abhishek was on 40 off 20 balls. DC had no answers.
Middle Overs — Abhishek Reaches 100: Head was caught off Axar Patel in the 9th over. Ishan Kishan arrived and kept the acceleration going — the pair added 79 runs in 35 balls. When Kishan was run out for 25 in the 15th over, Abhishek was on 103. He had his century. The stadium erupted. He raised his bat and then immediately looked for the next boundary.
Klaasen’s Extraordinary Cameo: Heinrich Klaasen in the final 32 balls of the innings (from over 15.5 onwards) was simply ridiculous. He hit his first ball for six. He hit his third ball for six. He hit his fifth ball for four. In 13 deliveries, he made 37. Nitish Rana was conceding 13 an over. Mukesh Kumar gave away 20 in his 19th-over death spell. SRH finished on 242/2 — their highest total at home in IPL 2026.
DC’s Chase — Hope Then Despair: Nissanka went early but Rahul and Nitish Rana’s 86-run partnership made the chase interesting. Rana was blazing — 57 off 30 with seven fours and three sixes. Then Eshan Malinga bowled perhaps his most significant over of IPL 2026. Rana caught at long-on. Miller bowled first ball. Two wickets, zero runs, one over. DC were 107/4 in the 11th over, needing 136 off 54 balls at a required run rate of 15.11. The match was over.
Eshan Malinga’s 11th over of DC’s chase — two wickets for zero runs off two balls, dismissing Nitish Rana (57) and David Miller (0) back-to-back. At 107/2, DC had 136 to get from 54 balls — difficult but possible. At 107/4, with their two biggest hitting threats gone simultaneously, it became mathematically impossible. That single over decided the match.
Post-Match Reactions
“Abhishek was just unstoppable today. Every time we needed a boundary, he found one. And Klaasen at the end — that was just violence. We set such a big total that even a good chase from DC was never going to be enough. Three wins in a row now, and the team is really clicking. The bowling has stepped up massively. Eshan and Harsh gave us exactly what we needed at the death.”
“We won the toss, did everything right initially, but Abhishek is just a different class of batter right now. 242 is simply too many on any ground, against any bowling attack. We fought hard — Nitish Rana showed great character — but the double wicket in the 11th over from Malinga killed us. We need to learn from this and come back stronger. Our chase record has been excellent this season but 243 was always going to be almost impossible.”
IPL 2026 Points Table — After Match 31
| # | Team | M | W | L | NR | Pts | Tonight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PBKS Punjab Kings | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | — |
| 2 | Rajasthan Royals | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | — |
| 3 | SRH Sunrisers Hyderabad | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 8 | WON ✓ |
| 4 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 8 | — |
| 5 | Gujarat Titans | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | — |
| 6 | DC Delhi Capitals | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | LOST |
| 7 | CSK — Chennai Super Kings | 7 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 8 | MI — Mumbai Indians | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 9 | LSG — Lucknow Super Giants | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 10 | KKR — Kolkata Knight Riders | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | — |
Match Analysis
This match exposed a fundamental tactical truth about T20 cricket: when one team bats at 12 runs per over, the opposition’s bowling record becomes irrelevant. Delhi Capitals have the joint-best chasing record in IPL 2026, but nobody chases 243 on this surface against this bowling attack.
SRH are finding peak form at precisely the right time. Three wins in a row, and each one has been built on a different foundation — defensive bowling against CSK, and now an explosive batting masterclass against DC. Abhishek Sharma is playing some of the best powerplay cricket anyone in the world is producing right now, and when he stays in for 20 overs, SRH totals become unassailable.
Eshan Malinga’s development as a death bowler this season has been SRH’s most underrated storyline. His 4/32 tonight, especially the Rana-Miller double strike, shows a bowler who understands match situations and can execute under pressure. In the absence of Pat Cummins, he is carrying SRH’s death bowling with the composure of a seasoned international.
For Delhi Capitals, this is their third loss in four matches and their first real batting capitulation of the season. The 243 target was always going to be a mountain, but the manner in which the middle order folded — 107/4 to 195/9, with four wickets falling for 88 runs in the final ten overs — will concern Axar Patel heading into the next phase of the season.
