May 9 (Punjab Khabarnama) : They may have lost a bit of steam in the middle but Sunrisers Hyderabad are back to their belligerent best. How else do you explain, let alone justify the carnage left behind following their 10-wicket mauling of the Lucknow Super Giants last evening in Hyderabad? Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma – the two key men responsible for SRH’s resurgence this season – spared no one, gunning down a target of 166 in just 9.4 overs. Not even 10. Let that sink in. 58 balls bowled in total out of which 14 were carted for sixes and another 16 for fours. It was game set and match just 45 minutes into the second innings.
Travis Head was once again miraculous for his 89 not out off 30 balls, but his partner Abhishek Sharma showed selectors they may have made a mistake by leaving him out of India’s T20 World Cup squad. The 23-year-old left-handed batter smashed an unbeaten 75 off 28 balls and after SRH made a mockery of LSG’s total of 165, Sharma credited the man who’s played a huge role in his career. The one and only Yuvraj Singh.
“I think the hard work I put in before the tournament is showing now, thanks to Yuvi Paaji, Brian (Lara) as well and my father, who is my first coach,” he said after the match.
Shortly after, Yuvraj responded to the youngster. Sharing a spirited message for Abhishek on the social media platform, the two-time World Cup winner for India, urged the batter to stay positive. Abhishek was one of the talked-about names for India’s T20 World Cup squad, but missed out. However, given his form, Yuvraj, who himself had said that Abhishek was not ready, pointed out his ‘time will come’ while also reserving praise for Head.
“Well played @IamAbhiSharma4. Be consistent be patient! Your time is around the corner! @travishead34 what planet are you batting my friend? Unreal!!! #SRHvsLSG #IPL2024,” posted Yuvraj.
With 401 runs from 12 matches at an average of 36.45 and strike-rate of 205.6 including two half-centuries, Abhishek is 11th on the list of highest run-scorers of the season, while his opening partner Head is third, next only to Virat Kohli ad Ruturaj Gaikwad having amassed 533 runs including four fifties and a century. This is to go with an average of 53.3 and a strike-rate reading of 201.8.
More importantly, Head’s incredible form is a warning sign for India at the T20 World Cup. Having already faced the opener’s brunt twice in ICC finals – the World Test Championship and World Cup last year – the Men in Blue must devise a plan to stop a hat-trick of onslaughts should these two teams come face-to-face in the T20 World Cup.
