Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has heaped praise on the explosive opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, describing them as one of the most destructive duos in the history of the Indian Premier League. The two batters have been central to the aggressive identity of Sunrisers Hyderabad in recent seasons, consistently putting bowlers under pressure right from the first over. For years, the benchmark for destructive IPL partnerships was set by Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle during their time with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Between 2011 and 2017, the pair amassed 2,787 runs together and produced nine century stands. Their record still ranks among the best in league history, only behind the iconic Kohli and AB de Villiers partnership in terms of total runs. While Head and Abhishek have not yet reached those numbers, their impact has been just as dramatic. Their fearless batting approach has powered Hyderabad to several massive totals, including multiple 250-plus scores — a rare achievement in IPL history.

Speaking on JioHotstar’s show Out or Out of the Park, Cheteshwar Pujara highlighted how the SRH openers have redefined aggressive batting at the top of the order. “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,” Pujara said.

WATCH – Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav Visit Shree Siddhivinayak Temple After India’s Triumph

“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.”

He further explained that the duo’s fearless style makes them extremely difficult for bowlers to contain.

“Smashing the ball all over the park and doing it on a regular basis is what makes them special. 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.”

However, Pujara also raised a concern about Sunrisers Hyderabad. According to him, the team’s heavy dependence on the top order has often hurt them, particularly in away matches.

ALSO READ: Irfan Pathan Predicts MS Dhoni Could Pass The Baton To Young CSK Stars

“SRH are a very destructive side and score a lot of runs when they play at home in Hyderabad. But away from home, their record is very poor,” Cheteshwar Pujara said. “When they play away matches, they fail to maintain their destructive batting intent. That is because all the teams know that SRH rely on their batting power to set big totals. Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen are their main batters. Once they get dismissed, SRH struggle to get going. That is where the opposition teams take advantage.”