Abhishek Sharma roars back with 94 in Sunrisers Hyderabad intra-squad after T20 World Cup setback

Abhishek Sharma brushed aside his early struggles in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a blistering knock in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s intra-squad clash, smashing 94 off just 42 balls to signal a timely return to form ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026.

Opening for SRH A in a practice match on Saturday, the 25-year-old showcased his trademark attacking flair, dominating the bowling before falling short of a century after being dismissed by Brydon Carse.

Reacting to the performance on social media, Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted the significance of the innings, noting that Abhishek looked poised for a bigger impact in the upcoming season.

SRH A piled up a formidable total of 240-plus, with Heinrich Klaasen adding 49 off 31 balls and new recruit Salil Arora impressing with a quickfire 47 off just 16 deliveries. Stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan chipped in with 18 in a dominant batting display.

The innings comes as a significant confidence boost for Abhishek, who entered the T20 World Cup as the world’s top-ranked T20I batter but endured a difficult start to the tournament due to illness and poor form.

His campaign, however, turned into a tale of resilience. After missing a group-stage match and registering three consecutive ducks, Abhishek bounced back strongly in the latter stages. He finished with 141 runs in eight innings, including a crucial 52 off 21 balls in the final against New Zealand national cricket team and a rapid 55 in the Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe national cricket team.

While the overall numbers may not fully capture his impact, those late contributions proved vital in helping him end the tournament on a high.

With IPL 2026 approaching, SRH will be encouraged by Abhishek’s return to rhythm. They open their campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, with Kishan expected to lead in the absence of injured skipper Pat Cummins.