Abhishek Sharma Blazes His Way to a Second IPL Hundred, Equals Kohli's T20 Record

Hyderabad witnessed a masterclass in T20 batting on Tuesday as Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma struck a brilliant 135* against Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, his second century in the competition and one that etched his name further into the record books.

The 25-year-old reached his hundred in just 47 balls, seven balls quicker than his first IPL century, in what proved to be a performance for the ages for the fans present at his home ground in Hyderabad.

What made the innings particularly remarkable was how it began.

Sharma, a batter known for his aggressive starts, did not hit a single six in the first four overs. He began in a patient manner, seeing off Mukesh Kumar and Nitish Rana during the powerplay, with both Sharma and his opening partner Travis Head making sure they put a price on their wickets.

It was only in the fifth over that Abhishek cut loose, repaying Delhi Capitals in full for bowling Nitish Rana for the second over in a row.

Has Abhishek Sharma Hit 10 Sixes in an IPL Innings Before?

He reached his fifty in 25 balls, his slowest T20 half-century at his home stadium in Hyderabad, before shifting into an altogether different gear.

By the time his innings was done, Sharma had struck 10 fours and 10 sixes in his unbeaten 135, making it the second occasion on which he has hit 10 sixes in a single IPL innings.

According to Cricbuzz, he is only the second batter in history to achieve that feat multiple times, after the legendary Chris Gayle, who did so on four occasions.

The innings also placed Sharma in rare company in the broader landscape of T20 cricket.

He equalled Virat Kohli's record for the most centuries by an Indian batter in T20 cricket and went past Rohit Sharma, who has eight.

With nine T20 hundreds to his name, Sharma now sits alongside Kohli, Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw and Sahibzada Farhan, behind only David Warner (10), Babar Azam (12) and the inimitable Chris Gayle, who leads the charts with 22.

Gayle's records in T20 cricket have long seemed untouchable, but if Tuesday's display in Hyderabad was any indication, there is rarely a better sight in the format right now than Abhishek Sharma in full flow.