Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s explosive opening duo of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head turned the Powerplay into a run-fest, dismantling the Punjab Kings attack in their IPL 2026 clash in Mullanpur on Saturday.Right from the outset, the intent was crystal clear – attack, dominate and unsettle. After a relatively cautious start that saw SRH reach 20 without loss in two overs, the pair shifted gears dramatically. Abhishek led the charge, taking apart Arshdeep Singh in a brutal over that featured two fours and two sixes, instantly swinging momentum in SRH’s favour.What followed was sheer carnage.SRH raced to 50 in just 3.4 overs, scoring at a staggering rate of over 13 runs per over — far above the usual Powerplay benchmark. Abhishek soon brought up a sensational half-century off just 18 balls, laced with four towering sixes. He particularly targeted Vijaykumar Vyshak, hammering 24 runs in a single over, including four sixes.At the other end, Head played the perfect foil, maintaining the tempo and ensuring there was no respite for the bowlers. The highlight of the Powerplay came when he smashed a hat-trick of boundaries off Xavier Bartlett, propelling SRH past the 100-run mark inside six overs.By the end of the Powerplay, SRH had surged to a staggering 105 without loss — nearly double what teams typically aim for in this phase.This was the third time SRH have crossed the 100-run mark in the Powerplay — the most by any team in IPL history. No other side has managed to achieve this more than once, underlining the rarity of the feat.Their previous instances include 125/0 against Delhi Capitals and 107/0 against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2024. The only other teams to have breached the mark even once are Kolkata Knight Riders (105/0 in 2017) and Chennai Super Kings (100/2 in 2014).Abhishek also etched his name in the record books, equalling the record for most sixes in a Powerplay in an IPL innings with seven – joining elite names like Sanath Jayasuriya, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow.100-plus scores in Overs 1-6 in the IPL125/0 – SRH vs DC, Delhi, 2024107/0 – SRH vs LSG, Hyderabad, 2024105/0 – SRH vs PBKS, Mullanpur, 2026105/0 – KKR vs RCB, Bengaluru, 2017100/2 – CSK vs PBKS, Mumbai WS, 2014Most sixes in Overs 1-6 in an IPL inns7 – Sanath Jayasuriya (MI) vs CSK, Mumbai WS, 20087 – Jos Buttler (RR) vs DC, Delhi, 2018 (rain-shortened game)7 – Jonny Bairstow (PBKS) vs RCB, Brabourne, 20227 -Abhishek Sharma (SRH) vs PBKS, Mullanpur, 2026
