Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Abhishek Sharma smashed the team's fastest IPL fifty on Wednesday, reaching the milestone in just 16 minutes against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Uppal.
Sharma broke the record moments after Travis Head had set it with a 50 off 18 balls. Head, in turn, had surpassed David Warner's previous mark of a 20-ball fifty against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2017. Moises Henriques, a former SRH player, also holds the record for a 20-ball fifty for the franchise, achieved against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2015.
Head was dismissed for 62 off 24 deliveries, including nine fours and three sixes. At the time of writing, SRH were at 148/2 after 10 overs, with Aiden Markram partnering Sharma. The left-hander was unbeaten on 54 from 19 deliveries, having struck three fours and six sixes.
SRH acquired Head at the IPL 2024 Player Auction in Dubai for Rs 6.8 crore. During last year's ODI World Cup in India, he amassed 329 runs in six matches, including centuries against New Zealand and India in the group stage and final, respectively.
SRH are seeking their first win of the season after losing their opener to KKR by four runs at Eden Gardens on Saturday. In IPL 2023, under captain Aiden Markram, they finished last in the 10-team standings with just eight points from 14 matches. Pat Cummins leads SRH this season.
