Sunrisers Hyderabad vice captain Abhishek Sharma faced disciplinary action following a visible reaction on the field during the IPL 2026 encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. The left handed batter displayed clear dissent after being given out, appearing to doubt the validity of a catch taken by Varun Chakravarthy. Even after the decision was confirmed via review, Abhishek remained at the crease and gestured in frustration before eventually departing for the dugout. This behavior caught the attention of match officials and resulted in penalties for violating the league code of conduct.
Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for 48 against KKR. The all rounder received a fine amounting to 25 percent of his match fees and was also handed one demerit point.
“Abhishek Sharma, All-rounder, Sunrisers Hyderabad has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees and has also accumulated one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Thursday,” the IPL released a statement.
The official release further noted the player’s response to the charges.
“He admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.3 and accepted the Match Referee’s sanction. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee’s decision is final and binding,” it added.
Abhishek displayed excellent form at Eden Gardens but fell just short of a half century. He was dismissed for 48 by Blessing Muzarabani after Varun completed a diving catch that required a close officiating call.
SRH Secure Their First Victory of the Season
After being put in to bat, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma provided Sunrisers Hyderabad with an explosive start. Their opening partnership yielded 82 runs in only 34 balls, immediately putting the KKR bowlers on the back foot. Head contributed 46 while Abhishek added 48. The scoring momentum continued through the later stages of the innings thanks to Heinrich Klaasen, who produced a rapid 52, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who chipped in with 39. These contributions allowed SRH to post a massive total of 226 for eight in their allotted 20 overs.
Blessing Muzarabani was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Vaibhav Arora claimed two. Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy each took a single wicket.
In response, the KKR innings ended at 161 in 16 overs. Angkrish Raghuvanshi was the top scorer for the home side with 52 runs off 29 deliveries. For the Sunrisers bowling attack, Jaydev Unadkat led the way with three wickets for 21 runs, while Nitish Kumar Reddy took two for 17 and Eshan Malinga finished with two for 14.
