Sunrisers Hyderabad assistant coach James Franklin lavished praise on Ishan Kishan after the left-hander’s match-defining knock helped SRH beat Chennai Super Kings by five wickets and book their place in the IPL playoffs. Speaking after the game, Franklin highlighted how Ishan’s 70 off 47 balls came on a pitch that played slow and uneven, making batting far more difficult than usual and turning the chase into a test of patience and precision.
Key takeaways
- Franklin credited Ishan Kishan’s form and said the 70 off 47 was his standout IPL innings so far this season.
- SRH overcame early setbacks in the chase, with the Ishan–Klaasen partnership redefining the momentum.
- The pitch played slower than expected, forcing batters to craft their innings rather than rely on power-hitting.
- Franklin felt CSK’s total was about 20 runs above what should have been possible on the surface.
- He believed the SRH bowlers conceded too many runs, but the decisive batting partnership ultimately swung the contest.
Franklin’s assessment of Kishan and the chase
Franklin described Ishan as brilliant across the campaign, noting that the batter’s recent international rhythm carried straight into this IPL. He suggested that, when reflecting on the season so far, the innings at Chennai was likely the best of Ishan’s year to date.
On a surface that offered little pace and resisted clean hitting, Franklin said the match demanded a different approach from what players typically experience in the league. Instead of settling into flat, high-scoring conditions, batters had to build their innings carefully and decide how to score on a tougher track.
He praised the maturity shown by Ishan in how he judged what was required and then executed the plan deep into the chase. Franklin also underscored that Ishan used the full allocation of overs, carrying his effort through the 20-over period.
Klaasen’s role and the turning point
The turning point came through the 75-run stand between Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, which Franklin singled out for its calm execution after early jolts. He pointed to the fact that Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma fell cheaply, but the pair steadied the innings and guided SRH through the most challenging phases of the chase.
Franklin said Klaasen’s impact across the IPL has been immense, calling it among the best middle-order displays the league tends to produce over a full season. He added that Klaasen’s ability to read the situation and maintain a tempo that kept the scoreboard moving positively played a major role in the outcome.
From a broader match perspective, Franklin suggested that CSK would likely have been satisfied defending a total around 180 on a track like that, given that such surfaces can make chasing difficult. However, he felt SRH’s bowlers allowed CSK to score at least 20 runs too many, leaving the match slightly out of balance.
In Franklin’s view, the equation changed only when Ishan and Klaasen combined to create a decisive partnership. He explained that SRH quickly assessed the situation and recognized that chasing would require not just effort, but a significant stand. That is exactly what unfolded.
Pitch expectations and the final message
Franklin also addressed the conditions, saying SRH expected the wicket to lack pace but did not anticipate it would be as slow as it proved to be. He credited the “unbelievable partnership” between Ishan and Heinrich Klaasen for getting SRH ahead in the contest and steering them to victory.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
