You see shades of Yuvi when Abhishek Sharma bats: Aakash Chopra

Former Indian cricketer, Aakash Chopra, heaped praise on Abhishek Sharma after the top-order batter's blazing 59 (20) set up a comfortable victory for Sunrisers Hyderabad in their clash against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday, May 19. He likened Abhishek to having batting traits similar to Mitchell Marsh and his mentor, Yuvraj Singh.

The former India Test opener also described the ravishing SRH opener as someone capable of making the match one-sided once locked in while with the bat.

“It’s the flamboyance he brings that to the table. Like Mitchell Marsh, he holds the bat at the top, lovely downswing, beautiful backlift - he’s clearly emulating his hero, Yuvraj Singh. You see shades of Yuvi when he bats. That’s why you invest in Abhishek Sharma. If he gets going, he can make the match one-sided. A 59 off 20 balls today - he gave others time to settle in. Very strong through the off-side and down the ground. I think he finished Ravi Bishnoi as a bowler tonight - one over, four sixes. That was that,” shared Aakash during an interaction with JioHotstar. 

Klaasen showed why SRH need him in the XI: Chopra

Heinrich Klaasen became the most expensive player to be retained in the IPL history when SRH chose to ddo so for INR 23 crore. Chopra remarked that knocks such as the one Klaasen played against LSG (47 off 28) was why he was paid the big bucks at the mega auction prior to the commencement of the season. 

SRH were in the driver’s seat at the halfway mark. It didn’t require bravado - just common sense and a steady partnership. That’s what they did. People talk about Pant going for INR 27 crore, but Klaasen was retained for INR 23 crore - more than Rohit, Bumrah, or Kohli. That’s big money. You expect returns. While he’s scored runs this season, they haven’t always been meaningful. But tonight, he showed why you want Klaasen in your X - he calmly steered them to victory,” he added.

WATCH: Abhishek smashes four consecutive sixes off Bishnoi

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WATCH: Abhishek smashes four consecutive sixes off Bishnoi

All in all, IPL 2025 was a disappointing campaign for SRH. The runners-up of the previous edition were the third side to get knocked out from the race to the playoffs. They would be keen on finishing their season on a high with their final couple of games scheduled against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders on May 23 and May 25, respectively.