Abhishek Sharma's night of fury: Rohit Sharma overtaken, Virat Kohli equalled with 47-ball IPL carnage vs DC

This was Abhishek Sharma's second IPL century, having smashed his maiden ton last season against the Punjab Kings at the same venue

Updated on: Apr 21, 2026, 23:50:48 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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For the third time in the ongoing IPL 2026 season, an Indian batter from the recent T20 World Cup-winning squad has smashed a century. Sanju Samson was the first, for Chennai Super Kings. Tilak Varma followed it up last night for the Mumbai Indians. And Abhishek Sharma became the third, unleashing carnage against the Delhi Capitals to bring up his second IPL century.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma celebrates after reaching his century (REUTERS)

The left-handed opener took the first two overs to assess the conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium before turning the game into his personal stage with a breathtaking display of power-hitting, dismantling the Delhi Capitals attack in ruthless fashion. Blending audacity with authority, he brought up the triple-figure mark in just 47 balls.

This was his second IPL century, having smashed his maiden ton last season against the Punjab Kings at the same venue. It was also his ninth T20 century, as he went past former India captain Rohit Sharma (eight) to equal the Indian record held by Virat Kohli. Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw and Sahibzada Farhan also have nine centuries each in the format, and currently sit fourth on the all-time list behind Chris Gayle (22), Babar Azam (12) and David Warner (10).

SRH vs DC IPL 2026 Live Score

The mayhem did not stop at the century mark. He carried his bat through to carve out an unbeaten 135 off 68 balls—his second-highest score in the tournament—having previously smashed 141 during his maiden ton last season. It is also the fifth-highest individual score in IPL history, with him the only batter to feature twice on that list, and the only Indian as well.

The knock also included 10 towering sixes, taking his career tally to 354 in T20 cricket, as he went past the legendary MS Dhoni (350). That tally is currently the fifth-highest among Indian batters, behind Rohit (555), Kohli (405), Suryakumar Yadav (423) and Samson (405).

Earlier in the match, Abhishek combined with a relatively off-colour Travis Head (37 off 26) to stitch together a 97-run opening stand. Captain Ishan Kishan (25 off 13) then joined the party, adding another 79 runs for the second wicket in just 5.5 overs to create a strong launchpad for the final assault. And as the opener began to show signs of fatigue, Heinrich Klaasen took over with a blistering 37 not out off 13 balls, as Sunrisers Hyderabad set up a massive 243-run target.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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