'Let bat do the work': Yuvraj Singh’s special message to protege Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma's unbeaten 135 powered Sunrisers Hyderabad to 242/2, securing a 47-run victory over Delhi Capitals. Sharma's career-best IPL knock, guided by mentor Yuvraj Singh's advice, showcased his free-flowing batting and the positive SRH environment. The win propelled SRH to third place in the IPL 2026 standings.
Abhishek Sharma registered his ninth T20 century and his second-highest score in the IPL, while also batting through the full 20 overs for the first time in his IPL career. His brilliant unbeaten 135 powered Sunrisers Hyderabad to a massive total of 242, which the team successfully defended, sealing a 47-run win over Delhi Capitals. Following the knock, his mentor Yuvraj Singh heaped praise on his protégé, saying, “Let the bat do the work!
” Sunrisers Hyderabad continued their strong run in IPL 2026 with a 47-run win over Delhi Capitals, powered by a sensational unbeaten 135 from Abhishek Sharma. His 68-ball knock, featuring 10 fours and 10 sixes, guided SRH to a massive 242/2, with support from Travis Head (37) and Heinrich Klaasen (37* off 13). In response, Delhi Capitals showed early promise through a partnership between KL Rahul (37) and Nitish Rana (57), but lost momentum after their dismissals.
Eshan Malinga starred with the ball, picking up 4/32, including two wickets in two balls, as DC were restricted to 195/9. The win pushed SRH to third place, while DC slipped to fifth in the standings. Reflecting on his innings, Abhishek said the team had a clear plan to attack the powerplay but had to quickly reassess conditions.
“The way we started, I felt we had a plan… but the wicket was a bit slow, so we had to re-plan it again. I just wanted to utilise the powerplay and entertain the crowd,” he said, adding that judging a par score wasn’t easy until the innings progressed. The left-hander also credited the environment within the SRH setup for allowing him to play freely.