Fangirl forcibly pulls Abhishek Sharma's hand (Screengrabs)

A bizarre off-field moment involving Abhishek Sharma grabbed attention during IPL 2026, as a fan interaction crossed the line and quickly went viral. A young female fan, visibly excited on spotting the Sunrisers Hyderabad star, rushed forward and forcibly grabbed his hand.

While the gesture appeared driven by enthusiasm, it left the cricketer uncomfortable, with his reaction clearly suggesting that personal boundaries had been breached. Security personnel at the hotel immediately intervened and escorted the player away as the situation threatened to escalate.

The clip has since sparked debate online about fan behaviour, with many pointing out that admiration should not come at the cost of a player's personal space.

While the off-field incident created a stir, the action on the field was equally dramatic in IPL 2026. Sunrisers Hyderabad continued their winning run with a stunning five-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Chasing a daunting 229, SRH showed no signs of pressure after an early setback. Ishan Kishan (74 off 31) and Abhishek Sharma (57 off 29) turned the game on its head with a blistering 132-run partnership, dismantling the Royals' bowling attack during the powerplay. Despite losing both set batters midway, useful contributions from Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy ensured SRH crossed the finish line in 18.3 overs.

Earlier, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi lit up the stadium with a sensational 37-ball 103, supported by Dhruv Jurel's 51, powering Rajasthan to 228/6 in this IPL 2026 encounter. However, their efforts went in vain as SRH completed one of the highest chases in IPL history, climbing to third in the standings with their fourth straight win.