Abhishek unleashed, CSK strike back early

Abhishek Sharma went into overdrive for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday, after Chennai won the toss and elected to field first.

Sunrisers’ power-packed intent came to life through Abhishek, who blazed a 15‑ball fifty, dismantling CSK’s spin plans with fearless footwork and clean hitting straight down the ground and over extra cover. The Power Play belonged to Sunrisers in tempo and brutality, despite early nerves. The momentum, however, swung sharply when Mukesh Choudhary dragged Chennai back into the contest with a stunning double strike.

The left-armer removed Travis Head (23) and Ishan in successive deliveries, both caught by Ruturaj Gaikwad at mid‑off, halting what looked like a runaway start. Head had begun to find rhythm after a watchful opening, while Ishan’s brief stay ended instantly as CSK sensed a shift. Gaikwad’s positioning and Mukesh’s calm execution under pressure ensured the Super Kings finished the Power Play with momentum firmly redistributed.

The early fireworks ensured scoreboard pressure remained, even after the setbacks, and with Heinrich Klaasen still to come, the contest remains delicately poised. CSK may have landed crucial blows, but the Power Play confirmed one thing emphatically: this surface is primed for big hitting, and Sunrisers are not short of intent.

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (c), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora (wk), Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivang Kumar, Praful Hinge, Sakib Hussain, Eshan Malinga.

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Matthew Short, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh.