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Abhishek Sharma celebrated his century in style by folding arms as his performance once again lit up the Orange Army at home in IPL 2026 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals.
Abhishek Sharma's special celebration after smashing a century(PTI)Abhishek Sharma, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) star opener, smashed a 47-ball century in IPL 2026, in the match against the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. He smashed back-to-back sixes to seal the century and, with his brilliant knock, also clinched the Orange Cap.
The 25-year-old shared the story behind his unique folded-arms celebration. The left-hander’s knock highlighted his growth as a finisher and his deep connection with the home crowd.
Abhishek Sharma hits his second ton of the tournament
Abhishek Sharma smashed his second IPL hundred, and he reached the landmark in style with back-to-back sixes in the 15th over. Nitish Rana bowled a long hop that Abhishek dispatched over deep mid-wicket, followed by a full delivery hammered straight over the bowler’s head. The aggressive innings pushed his T20 sixes tally to 350, cementing his status as one of the most dangerous power-hitters in the game.
Special celebration marks a personal milestone
After completing his ton, Abhishek Sharma folded his arms in a heartfelt gesture. After his innings, the explosive batter explained the reason behind it.
“It's just I had a plan with Frankie (James Franklin), and it was just he wanted me to bat till the 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. And of course, 100, it was always special and performing in this ground,” he expressed.
The celebration was more than just for the runs; it marked Abhishek Sharma's first-ever completion of a full 20 overs at the crease. Batting coach James Franklin and spin consultant Muttiah Muralitharan had urged him to anchor the innings, a new challenge for the naturally aggressive opener.
Abhishek also reflected on smashing a hundred in front of the home crowd, “I mean, of course, it's always special to perform in front of the 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.”
Abhishek Sharma claims the Orange cap
Abhishek Sharma clinched the Orange Cap with his 135-run knock off 68 balls, laced with 10 fours and 10 sixes. Abhishek now has amassed 323 runs, surpassing his teammate Heinrich Klaasen (320) to lead the list of batters with the most runs this season. He has smashed two fifties and a hundred, so far in 7 innings at a strike-rate of 215.33.
Abhishek Sharma joins elite company in IPL history
With this knock, Abhishek etched his name among IPL greats. The highest individual scores in IPL history now read:
175* – Chris Gayle (RCB vs PWI, Bengaluru 2013)
158* – Brendon McCullum (KKR vs RCB, Bengaluru 2008)
141 – Abhishek Sharma (SRH vs PK, Hyderabad 2025)
140* – Quinton de Kock (LSG vs KKR, Navi Mumbai 2022)
135* – Abhishek Sharma (SRH vs DC, Hyderabad 2026)
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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