CHENNAI: Travishek is back. Anyone who had followed the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the last few years would know what it means. Essentially, it is a moniker coined to describe the Sunrisers Hyderabad's opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.
After a forgettable season last year, Head (21-ball 46) and Sharma (21-ball 48) took apart Kolkata Knight Riders bowling attack, adding 82 runs for the first wicket in just 5.4 overs. Their stand set up the innings for the rest of the line-up and Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 35 balls) made the most of it taking SRH to 226/8. In reply, KKR were all out for 161 runs, falling short by 65 runs.
When the SRH opening pair got together in the 2024 season, Head was coming off an ODI World Cup-winning show and Sharma was searching for that one season to launch his career. With Head as partner, he got that as the Pat Cummins-led side rallied around a template of bravado batting. Bash bowling attacks all over the park in the first six overs that teams never really recover from. And it was possible only because Head and Sharma worked together as a pair and took out bowlers for fun.
It worked, and incredibly so, to an extent where Hyderabad cruised to their first final since 2016. There are a lot of reasons why SRH was successful that season but at the core of it all was Head and Sharma leading the way.
However, such a batting style comes with risks. When it comes off, they look like an unstoppable dream. They did so in 2024. But when they do not click, things spiral. And pretty quickly as was visible in 2025. Teams came prepared in the second season and Travishek did not kick on. It showed in the results as Sunrisers finished sixth.
It is not an understatement. In 2024, Head and Abhishek had four fifty-plus opening stands and of them, three were century stands. Their highest in that season was an unbeaten 167 to beat Lucknow Super Giants by ten wickets in 9.4 overs. The year that followed saw the pair top it with a 171-run stand against Punjab Kings but that was the only high point. With just one more 50-plus stand in the season, the duo could not sustain the momentum.
When they failed to get going in the first game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru this year, it raised questions. Could this be a repeat of 2024? Can they turn it around and set the platform for Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen to kick on? What happens when they fail? Some of it were answered on Thursday as Head and Sharma took it upon themselves to set the tone.
If the tall Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani was welcomed with a 16-run over, Vaibhav Arora soon received a smacking. Head smashed two fours and as many sixes, taking 21 runs off the pacer. Sunil Narine was played out but the duo compensated against Varun CV — 25 runs came of the fifth over. By the time Head had done his job. Soon Sharma took on Narine before eventually getting out to Muzarabani.
However, they had set the platform and announced that Travishek is back. With an in-form Kishan and Klaasen, they only make SRH all the more dangerous. Now, it will be all about whether they can sustain the intent into the tournament.
