NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s blistering start, powered by Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, turned the Powerplay into a sprint as they blew away Punjab Kings in their IPL 2026 encounter at Mullanpur on Saturday. From the very first over, SRH’s message was unmistakable—press forward, take control, and disrupt the opposition’s rhythm. After getting to 20 without a loss in the first two overs, the opening pair shifted gears in dramatic fashion.
Abhishek led the charge with a destructive spell against Arshdeep Singh, delivering an over that swung the match instantly in SRH’s favour. The innings included two boundaries and two maximums, and once momentum moved their way, it never really returned to Punjab. What followed was pure demolition. SRH surged to 50 in just 3.4 overs, maintaining an extraordinary run rate of more than 13 per over—well beyond the typical Powerplay target.
Abhishek then accelerated into a standout half-century, reaching the milestone off only 18 balls. His knock featured four massive sixes, and he especially attacked Vijaykumar Vyshak, smashing 24 runs in a single over. That over alone included four sixes, underlining how consistently SRH were able to find the middle of the bat and clear the ropes at will.
At the other end, Head played the role of the perfect foil, keeping the scoreboard ticking and ensuring the Punjab bowlers had no chance to recover their plans. The most telling moment of the Powerplay came when he struck a hat-trick of boundaries against Xavier Bartlett, propelling SRH past the 100-run mark inside six overs.
By the time the Powerplay ended, SRH had raced to 105 without loss—close to twice what most sides usually aim for in this phase. It marked the third occasion SRH have reached the 100-run mark during the Powerplay, the highest number by any franchise in IPL history. No other team has managed to do it more than once, highlighting how uncommon this level of dominance has been.
The earlier occasions for SRH included a 125/0 against Delhi Capitals and a 107/0 against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2024. Only two other franchises have broken the 100-run barrier even a single time in the Powerplay: Kolkata Knight Riders (105/0 in 2017) and Chennai Super Kings (100/2 in 2014).
Abhishek also added a personal record to the night’s highlights. He matched the IPL mark for the most sixes in overs 1-6 in a single innings, hitting seven maximums in the Powerplay. He joined an elite group featuring Sanath Jayasuriya, Jos Buttler, and Jonny Bairstow.
100-plus scores in Overs 1-6 in the IPL
- 125/0 – SRH vs DC, Delhi, 2024
- 107/0 – SRH vs LSG, Hyderabad, 2024
- 105/0 – SRH vs PBKS, Mullanpur, 2026
- 105/0 – KKR vs RCB, Bengaluru, 2017
- 100/2 – CSK vs PBKS, Mumbai WS, 2014
Most sixes in Overs 1-6 in an IPL innings
- 7 – Sanath Jayasuriya (MI) vs CSK, Mumbai WS, 2008
- 7 – Jos Buttler (RR) vs DC, Delhi, 2018 (rain-shortened game)
- 7 – Jonny Bairstow (PBKS) vs RCB, Brabourne, 2022
- 7 – Abhishek Sharma (SRH) vs PBKS, Mullanpur, 2026
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