Cheteshwar Pujara praised the opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek SharmaWho has continuously helped Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) progress in the batting department. He will have a vital role to play for the Orange Army as they look to have a strong season. The 2016 champions finished sixth last season, winning only six of their 14 games.
Pujara compared the aggressive opening pair to Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle, who used to strike fear in the hearts of opposition bowlers when they played together at Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, the former India batsman said that Abhishek and Head are more destructive than the Kohli-Gayle duo.
“In the last few seasons, what we have seen from Sunrisers Hyderabad openers, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, I can definitely say that they are one of the most destructive opening pairs in IPL history. Both are batsmen who know how to attack from the first ball. SRH have crossed the 250-run mark consistently in the last few seasons, thanks to them,” Pujara said while speaking on JioHotstar's 'Out or Out of the Park'.
He said, “No other team in the IPL has done this consistently. It is only because of the two opening batsmen. Hitting the ball all over the park and doing it regularly is what makes them special. When we talk about aggressive opening pairs in the IPL, the pair of Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli come to mind. But this pair of Head and Abhishek is even more devastating. No bowler wants to run in and bowl against an opening pair like Abhishek and Head.”
When they play away matches, they fail to maintain their destructive batting intent: Pujara
Pointing out Hyderabad's concerns, Pujara said they have a strong batting line-up at home but fail to replicate that positive intent during away matches.
“SRH is a very destructive team and they score a lot of runs when they play at home in Hyderabad. But away from home, their record is very poor. When they play away matches, they fail to maintain their destructive batting intent. This is because all teams know that SRH rely on their batting power to score big scores. Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen are their main batsmen. Once they get out, SRH struggle to get going. This is where opposition teams take advantage and prevent them from scoring big. Overall, this is something they need to work on,” concluded Pujara.
SRH begin their campaign in IPL 2026 on March 28, as they will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
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