Abhishek Sharma, the attacking Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener, has etched his name into the annals of Indian cricket history. The 25-year-old left-hander slammed his ninth T20 century, joining Virat Kohli as only the second Indian batter to reach this landmark in T20 cricket.
Abhishek achieved this massive feat during SRH’s IPL 2026 clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Tuesday, April 21.
Coming in with his trademark aggression, he reached the milestone off 47 balls, showcasing the fearless brand of cricket that has defined his rise. His innings (135 not out off 68) featured a barrage of boundaries (10) and sixes (10), underlining his status as one of the most destructive openers in world cricket.
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This milestone underscores Abhishek’s transformation into one of the most destructive batters in the shortest format. Known for his fearless strokeplay, blistering strike rates, and ability to dominate from the powerplay, he has consistently delivered match-winning knocks across IPL, domestic cricket, and internationals.
A Remarkable Journey To 9 Centuries
At just 25 years old, Abhishek has already amassed an impressive tally of T20 hundreds across domestic, IPL, and international cricket:
Virat Kohli leads the Indian list with 9 centuries in 403 innings.
Abhishek Sharma now joins him with 9 centuries in just 188 innings.
Rohit Sharma sits third with 8 centuries in 454 innings.
What This Means For Indian Cricket
Abhishek Sharma’s consistency at the top of the order has revitalized India’s T20 setup. His ability to clear boundaries at will and maintain a high strike rate makes him a nightmare for opposition bowlers.
As the IPL 2026 season progresses, all eyes will be on whether Abhishek can surpass Kohli’s tally and cement himself as India’s premier T20 batter. For now, the 25-year-old from Punjab is living up to the hype as one of the most exciting talents in world cricket.
Abhishek Sharma Reacts To His Historic Century
After hitting a blistering century, Abhishek Sharma said that it’s special to perform in front of the Orange Army (SRH fans).
“I mean, of course, it’s always special to perform in front of orange army and everybody knows the love I have for this ground is unmatchable. But yeah, the way they bowled in the death overs, I felt like they were actually executing their plan and it was just, I feel I haven’t practiced enough death batting properly. That was the situation. But the way Klassy ended the innings, I think that really helped the total out there,” said Abhishek during mid innings.
Asked about his conversation with Heinrich Klaasen during their partnership, the SRH opener said,” No, he just wanted me to just maintain the shape and maybe I was trying too hard to clear the boundary because I don’t do that when I’m playing middle overs and the powerplay. But yeah, in my mind, I had this that I shouldn’t go for boundary at least. I should rotate the strike and give to Klass in because we know how he plays in the death overs and he’s one of the most dangerous batsmen probably.
The 25-year-old batter also spoke about his special celebration.
“It’s just I had a plan with Frankie (James Franklin) and it was just he wanted me to bat till 20th over and even Murali (Muralitharan) said the same thing. Maybe this is the first time I ever batted 20th over. So that was just the celebration for that,” he said.
