Varun Aaron Defends Abhishek Sharma After Match-Winning 135 vs Delhi Capitals

NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach Varun Aaron has underlined the importance of patience with high-impact players, insisting that Abhishek Sharma deserved "leeway" during his lean phase before delivering a stunning unbeaten 135 against Delhi Capitals.

Abhishek's 68-ball masterclass powered SRH to a commanding 47-run win, with the opener batting from start to finish and showcasing both restraint and explosive strokeplay. But for Aaron, the knock was less a surprise and more a reflection of a long-trusted process.

"I think he's always had that maturity and that's been there over the last couple of years. You can't be the number one T20 batsman in the world without being mature. Obviously, he's somebody who sees the opposition, sees the surface and decides to play a certain way," Aaron said after the match.

"You have to give him that leeway"

Aaron stressed that Abhishek's high-risk, high-reward style naturally brings fluctuations, and backing such players through failures is crucial.

"Today, it wasn't the surface where you could just go hell for leather every single ball. So you have to respect the opponent, you have to respect the surface and he did exactly that," he explained. "And I think he's shown glimpses of this in the past but obviously when you play a high risk, high reward kind of a game, sometimes it doesn't work out and you have to give a player like Abhishek that leeway."

The innings marked a continuation of Abhishek's resurgence after an inconsistent start earlier in the year, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most dangerous T20 batters.

Bowlers back up the big total

While Abhishek headlined the win, SRH's bowlers ensured the result was never in doubt. Eshan Malinga led the charge with a decisive four-wicket haul, while young pacer Sakib Hussain impressed with his variations.

"They've got skills that set them apart… Malinga gets the ball to reverse, even from the 11th or 12th over, which gets tough for the opponent. He can execute yorkers, has a brilliant slower ball and can bowl 140-plus," Aaron said.

"With Sakib, that slower ball is just brilliant… same arm speed, executes his yorkers, can bowl 140-plus as well."

Aaron revealed that SRH's strategy this season has been to build a bowling unit capable of adapting across conditions.