Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins showered praise on Abhishek Sharma after their four-wicket win against Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Sunday. The Orange Army chased down 215 with five balls to spare and also finished at second place in the standings after the KKR and RR match was abandoned due to rain at Guwahati. 

Abhishek Sharma continued his rich form, scoring a blistering knock of 66 runs off just 28 balls with the help of five fours and six maximums. Sharma’s opening partner Travis Head was dismissed for a golden duck by Arshdeep Singh but the youngster didn’t change his template of batting aggressively.

Sharma has scored 467 runs in 13 matches at an average of 38.92 and a strike rate of 209.42 in the ongoing IPL 2024.

Pat Cummins said in the post-match presentation, “He (Abhishek) is amazing. I wouldn’t want to bowl to him. It’s scary as he plays with freedom, not only against pacers but also against spinners.”

On the other hand, SRH’s youngster Nitish Reddy scored another impressive knock of 37 runs off 25 balls in the run-chase. Cummins also lauded the all-rounder for his form.

Cummins added, “Nitish is a class player, looks mature beyond his age, seems to sum up the game really well, he is perfect for our top-order.”

Meanwhile, SRH had a dominating run at home, winning six out of their seven matches in the league stage. The Orange Army has been coming up with collective effort throughout the season. 

Cummins added, “It’s pretty cool, it’s awesome. We have won 6 out of 7 here, it has been great and amazing. I didn’t know many guys coming into this season, but we have played great cricket and had some fun. Great bunch of guys.”

SRH will face Kolkata Knight Riders in the first qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Tuesday.