IPL 2026: Abhishek Sharma smashes 94 in SRH practice, silences World Cup disappointment

Abhishek Sharma returned to form in emphatic fashion, hammering a 42-ball 94 in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s intra-squad game to put his ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 struggles behind him ahead of IPL 2026.

Opening for SRH A in a practice clash on Saturday, the 25-year-old looked in complete control, unleashing his trademark aggressive strokeplay before falling just short of a century, dismissed by Brydon Carse.

SRH A racked up a daunting total of over 240, with Heinrich Klaasen contributing a brisk 49 off 31 balls and new signing Salil Arora catching the eye with a 16-ball 47. Stand-in captain Ishan Kishan added 18 in a one-sided batting display.

Taking note of the knock, Ravichandran Ashwin suggested on social media that Abhishek may be building towards something significant, hinting the left-hander could be saving his best for the season ahead.

The innings comes as a timely lift for Abhishek, whose World Cup campaign began on a difficult note. After missing a group-stage match due to illness, he endured a lean phase with three successive ducks.

However, he turned things around when it mattered most, finishing with 141 runs in eight innings. His late surge included a crucial 52 off 21 balls in the final against New Zealand national cricket team and a quickfire 55 against Zimbabwe national cricket team in the Super 8 stage.

With IPL 2026 around the corner, SRH will take confidence from their opener rediscovering form. They begin their campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Bengaluru, with Kishan set to lead in the absence of injured skipper Pat Cummins.