Abhishek Sharma-Travis Head better than Chris Gayle-Virat Kohli! India legend drops shocking verdict
Published - 15 Mar 2026, 11:01 AM | Updated - 15 Mar 2026, 11:06 AM
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Whenever the purpose of a discussion is to find out the most destructive opening pairs in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), fans and experts are about to mention the legendary pair of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle. Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara reckoned another pair that can be more destructive than Kohli and Gayle.
Cheteshwar Pujara talked about the opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head during a JioHotstar show. According to Pujara, people might consider the pair of Kohli and Gayle as the most destructive pair, but in the last couple of seasons, Head and Sharma have proved they can be lethal against any bowling attack.
Pujara labeled Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head as one of the most destructive opening pairs.
Without any hesitation, Pujara labeled the openers of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as one of the most destructive opening pairs in IPL history, as both Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head know how to challenge a class bowler.
“In the last couple of seasons, what we have seen from the openers of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, I can certainly say they are one of the most destructive opening pairs in IPL history. Both are batters who know how to attack from ball one. SRH has consistently crossed the 250-run mark in the last couple of seasons thanks to them. No other team in the IPL has done that consistently”, Pujara said in the release.
No bowler wants to run in and bowl: Pujara.
“When we talk about aggressive opening pairs in the IPL, the pair of Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli comes to mind. But this duo of Head and Abhishek is even more destructive. No bowler wants to run in and bowl against an opening pair like Abhishek and Head”, he added further.
According to the stats, for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abhishek Sharma has scored 1,753 runs at an average of 26.56 and a strike rate of 162.16, with one hundred and nine half-centuries. Travis Head has scored 941 runs at an average of 36.19 and a strike rate of 178.89, with one ton and seven half-centuries. With Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head on top of the batting order, SRH reached the Final of the IPL 2024 season.
Most Runs in an IPL Season by an opening pair:
Opening Pairs | Runs in an IPL season | Innings | Season | 50s/100s |
B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill (GT) | 912 | 15 | 2025 | 4/3 |
Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli (RCB) | 707 | 15 | 2024 | 3/1 |
Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK) | 849 | 15 | 2023 | 5/2 |
Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli (RCB) | 939 | 14 | 2023 | 5/3 |
Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw (DC) | 744 | 15 | 2021 | 4/2 |
Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK) | 756 | 16 | 2021 | 5/2 |
Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul (PBKS) | 671 | 11 | 2020/21 | 3/2 |
Jonny Bairstow and David Warner (SRH) | 791 | 10 | 2019 | 3/4 |
Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner (SRH) | 646 | 14 | 2017 | 3/2 |
Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner (SRH) | 731 | 17 | 2016 | 5/1 |
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Abhishek Sharma Travis Head Chris Gayle Virat Kohli Cheteshwar Pujara IPL Sunrisers Hyderabad Royal Challengers BangaloreAbout the Author
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