IPL 2024: Abhishek Sharma justifying faith reposed in him by SRH management

IPL 2024: 23-year-old Abhishek Sharma justifying faith reposed in him by SRH management. Abhishek Sharma striking at 226.19 in IPL 2024 so far.

Abhishek Sharma's strike rate in IPL 2024 is 226.19 (Images: ©IPL/X)

The 23-year-old left-hander Abhishek Sharma has been a revelation for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024 with his belligerent approach, batting at the top order. The SRH batting line-up which boasts of the heavyweight names of Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head and Aiden Markram, Abhishek held his fort well and scored quickfire runs for the team.

Abhishek has carved himself out well, acclimatising to the role of tanking at the top which the franchise has assigned to him. With fearless intent and audacious shot-making, a revamped version of Abhishek Sharma has unfurled. He is making a big statement with his recent stints in IPL.

Abhishek Sharma’s journey in the IPL 2024 so far

Abhishek played a quick cameo innings of 32 runs off 19 balls in the match against KKR while chasing a daunting 209-run target. His innings against KKR was short-lived yet promising enough to set the tone for Heinrich Klaasen who almost chased down the target single-handedly.

But the best was yet to come against the 5 times IPL champions Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad. He smashed the fastest fifty for SRH consuming only 16 deliveries and made a mockery out of MI’s bowling. He was adjudged the Player of the Match for his breathtaking innings of 63 runs off 23 balls with a staggering strike rate of 273.91. Moreover, an astounding boundary percentage of 85.71 showed the aggressive approach he adopted in his batting.

If his 63-run innings against MI is well assessed and inferred, he equally attacked the pacers as well as the spinners. He displayed exuberance against the experienced veteran Piyush Chawla, hitting him 3 sixes in an over. It was the main highlight of his blitzkrieg innings. 

Read More: IPL 2024, SRH vs MI: SRH top-order produces masterclass; MI persevere but fall behind

Abhishek Sharma’s evolution over the years justifies the SRH’s faith

The mayhem of Abhishek Sharma that we are witnessing right now is not the case of an overnight success story. It took years of domestic and IPL experiences to finally churn and unfold his beast mode. Abhishek has shown promise in the previous seasons as well with his monstrous six-hitting abilities. But the lack of consistency in scoring big runs has led to a change in his batting position time and again. 

In 2022, Abhishek scored 426 runs in 14 matches at an average of 30.43 with a strike rate of 133 with two fifties. In 2023, Abhishek was demoted down the order where he could accumulate only 226 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 144. The ploy to play him as a finisher completely backfired. 

In 2024, playing at number 3 helped him get in the groove. He enjoyed a great domestic season with visible exploits in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he was the second-highest run-getter amassing 485 runs in 10 matches. With a good domestic season behind him, Abhishek looks a much better player now. 

Read More: Punjab win SMAT 2023-24: Key architects of their campaign

Abhishek Sharma scored 426 runs in IPL 2022 for SRH (Images: ©IPL/Twitter)

SRH’s change in strategy suits Abhishek well 

SRH has been known to be a bowling powerhouse over the years. When it came to defending the totals, Hyderabad did it better than other IPL teams, irrespective of the score they put on board. Playing in the toughest T20 league in the world, a team just can’t depend upon bowling entirely to make a turnaround. Hyderabad finished last in the points table last season with only 4 wins from 14 games.

This year SRH decided to address its batting woes persisting over the years. The team’s mantra in 2024 has been, “Go out, express boldly, attack from the first ball itself.” Till now the strategy has worked in favour of SRH and Abhishek. Other batters have also gone all guns blazing. Abhishek has amassed 95 runs in two innings with an impressive aggregate strike rate of 226.19.

Read More: IPL 2023: In Yashasvi, Tilak & Abhishek, India have a great future

What future holds for Abhishek Sharma?

Abhishek Sharma offers a lot of promise with his aggressive intent and his long-hitting abilities. If he has a wonderful outing for SRH in this year’s IPL and keeps piling heavy runs in the domestic circuit, he can make a strong statement for himself. Also, the time he has spent in the SRH dressing room with the batting legend Brian Lara has reflected well in his batting technique with significant upgrades. He can roll his arms for a few overs in between, adding another dimension to his skill set. 

Abhishek was a part of the 2018 U-19 World Cup-winning India squad. His former teammates including Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Mavi have already made their appearances in international matches for India. He might be a bit late but he isn’t far away from knocking on the selectors’ doors.

Read More: IPL 2024: Riyan Parag's confidence spells good times for Rajasthan Royals