'Didn't know I'll bowl' - Abhishek Sharma opens up on match-winning spell in Qualifier 2

Young Abhishek Sharma's brilliant all-round performance helped Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) seal a 36-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2024 in Chennai on May 24. While his explosive batting has been a highlight of the season, his left-arm spin proved pivotal in the crunch game.

Defending 175, SRH struck early blows but RR stayed in the hunt through Dhruv Jurel's counterattacking, unbeaten 56. With the pitch offering turn, skipper Pat Cummins turned towards his spinners, Abhishek and Shahbaz Ahmed to control the flow of runs.

The move worked as the duo shared five wickets, resulting in RR's collapse. Abhishek ended with figures of 2/24 from his four overs and did not concede a boundary in his first three overs. His key wickets were the skipper Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer.

"To be honest, I didn't know I would bowl this match but I was very much ready with my bowling because I've been working hard on my bowling. The last two years it's been good with my batting so I wanted to work on my bowling with my dad. So special mention to my dad," he said in the post-match press conference.

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Patty used the spinners really well: Abhishek Sharma

Having scored 482 runs at a strike rate of 207.75 this season, the 23-year-old was initially seen as a batting all-rounder, but in a crucial match like Qualifiers, Sharma was happy to contribute to his team's success. 

"Patty (Pat Cummins) used the spinners really well. There was more turn in the second innings. (No dew, that's why more part-time spin) I think it's the pressure that I've put on our team in the practice session that's why maybe I got a chance (smiles). But Shahbaz and I did well," he added.

Abhishek revealed his confidence in bowling this season came from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he bowled 20 overs for champions Punjab, indicating he could offer more.

"It came from Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. We won the Trophy for Punjab and the momentum came from there. I had confidence for this season from the conversations in the meetings where the batters were given freedom." (Final) It is one of my dreams to play the IPL final, it is coming true this year," he further added.

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With this convincing win, the Hyderabad-based franchise have qualified for the finals for the 17th edition of the tournament. They will square off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the grand finals on May 26 in the same venue and will look to lift their second title in the history of the league.