[WATCH] Abhishek Sharma pulled by female fan in team hotel, security guards intervene

In a bizarre off-field incident ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), star opener Abhishek Sharma was left visibly startled and uncomfortable when a young female fan suddenly grabbed and pulled his hand at the team hotel.

Abhishek was walking through the hotel reception or the lobby area when a young female fan standing around grabbed his hand with sudden force, attempting to pull the cricketer close to herself. Abhishek was also taken aback by the act and pulled his hand back as the security personnel swiftly intervened and the fan was cleared off the way. 

Watch the video of the incident below

While Abhishek was caught off-guard at the team hotel, he seemed in absolute form against RR in Match 36 of the tournament, scoring a crucial half-century. After an early blow during the run chase of 229, Abhishek paired alongside Ishan Kishan for a century-plus stand that did the majority of the job for the visiting side at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

"Good to be on the winning side. I had my chances; lucky day for me. I wouldn't say they were 15 short, but they could have got 15-20 runs more. I mean, bowlers like Jofra [Archer], if they're bowling to you... I just wanted to create room just to trouble them with line and length a bit, which is what Ishan and I wanted to do, especially with the new ball," Abhishek said on air after the match.

I feel once you chase that kind of score, the way the batters are performing, the bowling side coming after powerplay... You can feel the confidence in the team. We always knew Pat would come and lead the side. Of course, Patty came and gave that extra experience in the side. How he bowls in those crucial overs give you confidence," he concluded.

After this thunderous knock, Abhishek has also moved on top of the Orange Cap list of the season, leading the run-scoring charts.