Abhishek Sharma credits Dad, Yuvraj Singh & Brian Lara for inspirational performance in SRH vs CSK

Friday's IPL match saw the Chennai Super Kings post a total of 165/5 in 20 overs, with standout performances from Shivam Dube (45 off 24) and Ajinkya Rahane (35 off 30). In response, Sunrisers Hyderabad chased down the target, scoring 166/4 in 18.1 overs, winning by 6 wickets with 11 balls to spare. Aiden Markram's impressive 50 off 36 and Abhishek Sharma's quickfire 37 off 12 were instrumental in the Sunrisers' victory. Notably, Abhishek Sharma was awarded Player of the Match for his all-round contribution. The Toss was won by Sunrisers who elected to bowl first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Abhishek Sharma thanks his father, Yuvraj Singh and Brian Lara in his POTM speech 

At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Abhishek Sharma's brilliant performance helped Sunrisers Hyderabad defeat Chennai Super Kings by 6 wickets, earning him the Player of the Match title for the second time in the Indian Premier League. This was SRH's second victory of the year.

The rising star for SRH, Abhishek Sharma, thanked his father and two cricketing greats, Brian Lara and Yuvraj Singh, for his recent success. SRH's strong batting display was largely attributed to Sharma's blistering 37-run knock off just 12 balls, especially during the powerplay when the side was chasing a goal of 166 runs.

At the post-match presentation ceremony, Abhishek Sharma credited his idol, Yuvraj Singh, for his accomplishment and praised the hard work he had put into his game. Sharma also gave gratitude to former SRH coach Brian Lara for helping him grow as a cricket player. He has often emphasised the vital roles that Yuvraj and Lara played in his cricket career. Abhishek Sharma said: 

"Big scores matter, but I went with the flow today. Hopefully, I will get out last next time. It is all the hard work I have put before this. Special thanks to my dad, Yuvi paaji and Brian Lara," 

"In the bowling, we felt it was a slow wicket. So, we wanted to take the powerplay on. We had a chance to prepare well before the IPL. We knew it would be slow, but not if we took on the bowler. Because it would be difficult for the bowler as well,"

For Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abhishek Sharma's early assault was crucial, particularly in light of their mid-chase stumble. After establishing the record for the fastest fifty runs for SRH, Abhishek wins his second Player of the Match title in the IPL 2024. He has the highest batting strike-rate of any player in the event with an incredible 217.56.

Abhishek Sharma underlined how crucial it was to take advantage of the powerplay, especially on a slow and uninteresting pitch, which helped SRH win in the end. Abhishek has made a total of 161 runs in 4 games for the SRH. He has continued to put up strong performances throughout IPL 2024, reaffirming his status as an important member of the Pat Cummins-led side.