Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma said a clear message from assistant coach James Franklin shaped his unbeaten 135 against Delhi Capitals, an innings that powered SRH to a 47-run win and gave the home crowd one of the standout batting performances of IPL 2026.
Abhishek Sharma explains his celebration
Abhishek’s knock was not just about the final number. It was about how he got there. Known largely for tearing into attacks early, he stayed through the full innings this time and changed the rhythm of the game as it went on. That was not accidental.
“It’s just I had a plan with Franky, and he just wanted me to bat till the 20 overs. I think this is the first time that I have batted for 20 overs. The wicket wasn’t too easy,” Abhishek said at the post-match presentation after being named Player of the Match.
He explained why the innings felt different from a typical Abhishek surge. He did not just burst out of the blocks and disappear. He paced the innings, adapted to the surface, and then accelerated hard enough to take the game away from Delhi Capitals. His unbeaten 135 off 68 balls sat at the heart of SRH’s 242/2, a total that proved far beyond DC in the chase.
He also made it clear that the opposition attack and the surface demanded proper batting rather than blind hitting. “But if you play good cricket, they have the talent in that team. You have to play well to defend it,” he added.
That gave the innings its real weight. This was not just raw power on a batting paradise. Abhishek himself admitted the pitch was not entirely straightforward, which made his control through the middle overs and explosion at the end even more valuable. He adjusted first, dominated later.
There was also a strong emotional thread to the knock, with Abhishek Sharma performing in front of a Hyderabad crowd that has seen him grow into one of the franchise’s biggest match-winners. “I mean, of course, it’s always special to perform in front of the orange army,” he said.
The innings also revealed another side to his game. Abhishek is not usually spoken about as a death-overs batter, but on this night, he stayed long enough to become one. That late transformation was crucial for SRH because it turned a strong total into an intimidating one.
“The way they bowled in the death overs, I thought they were executing their plans. I think I haven’t practised death batting much. But the way Klaasen played, it helped us get to that total,” he said.
That acknowledgement mattered. Heinrich Klaasen’s late burst gave SRH fresh momentum at the finish, while Travis Head and Ishan Kishan had already ensured that Delhi never got breathing space. But Abhishek remained the innings’ central force. He anchored it, stretched it, and then detonated it.
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When asked about his celebration after the century, Abhishek revealed, “Of course, I have been doing this ‘L’ celebration for a long time. It’s just love for the stadium, the way they support us throughout the tournament, even back at the hotel. It’s just that I want to contribute from my side for the team. I want to show some love to them. Of course, my parents are here, which is always very special. My sister is missing because she had some infection. So, this is for you as well.”
Delhi did have some fight in reply through Nitish Rana and Sameer Rizvi, but the target was simply too large. Eshan Malinga then starred with the ball as SRH sealed a convincing win.
In the end, Abhishek’s own words captured the innings best. It was built on a plan, shaped by patience, and finished with violence. For a batter known for early damage, this was something more complete. He did not just light the fuse. He stayed to watch the whole sky burn.