With just a month left for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to begin, trouble seems to be already brewing in the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) camp as a member of their coaching staff lashed out at young Indian all-rounder Abhishek Sharma.
Sharma, who is regarded among the top young players in the country and has been a vital part of the SRH camp since the 2019 season, He has become a prominent part of the team post-the 2022 IPL mega auction, as the left-handed player was handed the opening spot by the franchise in order to maximize his potential.
Sharma has had a brilliant domestic season with Punjab, especially in white-ball cricket. The 23-year-old left a mark in Punjab’s final Ranji Trophy game of the 2024 season against Tamil Nadu at the Salem Cricket Foundation Stadium.
Sharma hit five sixes in an over by Indian spinner Sai Kishore, who made his national team debut at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year and plays for the Gujarat Titans. Sharma is only the fourth Indian player in history to score five sixes in an over after Ravi Shastri, Reuben Paul, and Shivam Dube.
Sharma’s knock was a short-lived one as he departed after making a 16-ball 36, and ultimately Punjab lost the game with Tamil Nadu sealing a nine-wicket victory.
While Sharma was widely praised for his special effort over Sai Kishore, SRH coach Hemang Badani lashed out at the batter on social media and criticized him for not playing a big knock.
“And got out for 36 in a 4 day game which his team lost, where they were trying to save the game. One needs to play according to the format and situation,” wrote Badani on X (Formely known as Twitter) replaying to a post by SRH.