NEW DELHI: The Sunrisers Hyderabad camp — led by captain Ishan Kishan and powered by debutant impact from Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain — erupted in celebration after a dominant win over the Rajasthan Royals on Monday. SRH overran RR at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, winning by 57 runs, with the bowling attack doing the heavy lifting after a strong batting platform.
Quick facts
- Result: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals by 57 runs
- Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium
- SRH score: 216/6
- RR score: 159 all out in 19 overs
- Ishan Kishan: 91 off 44 balls (8 fours, 6 sixes)
- Praful Hinge: 4/34, including IPL’s first bowler to take three wickets in the opening over
- Sakib Hussain: 4/24
- SRH points: second win in five matches, moved to fourth place
After the match, owner Kavya Maran was approached by a supporter with flowers as the celebrations spilled out of the dugout. Maran accepted the gesture with a smile and simply said, “thank you,” as the atmosphere around the team intensified.
On a wicket where the ball could still keep the batters guessing, the SRH captain made the difference. Kishan struck eight boundaries and cleared the ropes six times in a rapid 44-ball 91, helping SRH reach 216/6. Anything full and wide was punished with regularity through the off side, while shorter deliveries were dispatched with authority as he brought up his 19th IPL half-century.
That innings, however, was eclipsed by a spell of sheer momentum from Hinge. The Nagpur pacer, who had been close to making his debut earlier but had to wait, wrote himself into IPL history by becoming the first bowler in the competition to take three wickets in the opening over. He tore into RR’s top order, including getting Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out for a duck, and finished with figures of 4/34.
Hussain then provided the closing punch with a disciplined burst, finishing with 4/24 to bowl out Rajasthan for 159 in 19 overs. The combined effort meant the Royals’ winning run was brought to a halt in emphatic fashion, and SRH’s decision to back two debutants in the XI in place of more experienced campaigners proved spot on.
Debutants strike early, Royals unravel
Hinge made an immediate statement, removing Sooryavanshi with the first ball of his spell — a breakthrough even top pace threats hadn’t managed often during the season. Sooryavanshi attempted a pull, but the ball popped up and he edged it to wicketkeeper Salil Arora, triggering instant celebrations in the stands.
The damage escalated on the next delivery when Hinge had Dhruv Jurel chop onto his stumps. From the far end, Lhuan-dre Pretorius also fell quickly, flicking straight to long leg, and the early collapse deepened as the Royals struggled to find rhythm.
Hussain struck early too, using a well-directed short ball to dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal. Within a matter of overs, RR were already reeling, and the pressure only intensified when Hinge sent Riyan Parag back with a sharp outswinger. The inaugural champions were reduced to five wickets down inside three overs, leaving the chase with very little margin.
With the game slipping away, Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira tried to steady the innings. Their partnership helped RR move beyond 49, preventing what would have been the lowest total in IPL history. Even so, the chase still required a near-impossible turnaround once the SRH bowlers regained control.
Jadeja and Ferreira added 118 runs for the sixth wicket — the highest for RR at that position — with Ferreira reaching his maiden IPL fifty in just 31 balls. But the stand ended when Hussain bowled Ferreira with a slower delivery, while Jadeja was caught behind off Eshan Malinga.
Hussain then struck again, dismissing Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi, and Malinga accounted for Tushar Deshpande to wrap up a convincing win for SRH.
SRH’s chase setup: Kishan’s counterpunch and Klaasen support
Before the bowling surge, there was drama at the top of SRH’s innings as well. Jofra Archer stunned the Uppal crowd by removing Abhishek Sharma with the very first ball of the match — his fourth first-ball wicket in IPL history.
But Kishan quickly took over, counterattacking with authority. He raced to his fifty in just 30 balls and pushed SRH past 100 with a six off Bishnoi. Alongside Heinrich Klaasen, he built a fast partnership, with the two adding 50 runs in 26 deliveries.
Kishan appeared set for a century before he fell for 91, getting out after miscuing a pull shot. Klaasen made 40 before departing, while Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped in with a brisk 28, striking boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving.
A late flourish from Salil Arora ensured SRH crossed the 200-mark, setting up the platform for Hinge and Hussain to finish the job in style.
