Hyderabad turned into a party hub for Sunrisers Hyderabad after they secured a 10-run victory over five-time champions Chennai Super Kings in their IPL 2026 encounter at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday. The SRH celebrations were fueled not only by the win, but also by the leap into the top four of the points table.
Sunrisers rise into the top four
With this result, Sunrisers Hyderabad moved to fourth place in the standings. After six matches, they have managed three wins and suffered three defeats, collecting six points in total.
SRH owner Kavya Maran was also seen celebrating with energy after the final outcome, as the cameras swung from the dressing room to the stands.
Death overs deliver the difference
Chennai Super Kings were unable to chase down the target thanks to a sharp late surge from SRH’s bowlers. The decisive phase was spearheaded by Eshan Malinga and Nitish Kumar Reddy, whose spells kept CSK under pressure during the second half of the innings.
- Eshan Malinga: 3/29
- Nitish Kumar Reddy: 2/31
- Sakib Hussain: 1/32
- Shivang Kumar: 1/18
As a result, CSK slipped to seventh in the table, finishing the match with two wins and four defeats.
SRH 194/9 and CSK fall short by 10
Chennai opted to bowl first, and SRH built a competitive total anchored by two half-centuries. Abhishek Sharma struck 59 off 22 balls, smashing six fours and four sixes, while Heinrich Klaasen also made 59, coming from 39 deliveries with six fours and two maximums. Together, they propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad to 194/9.
In reply, CSK stayed in the hunt during their chase of 195, with key contributions from Ayush Mhatre (30 off 13 balls, featuring five fours and a six) and Matthew Short (34 off 30 balls, including three fours). Sarfaraz Khan added 25 off 16 balls with three fours as well. Despite those efforts, SRH’s bowlers tightened the screws at the crucial stage, and CSK could only manage the chase 10 runs short.
Ishan Kishan reacts after the win
SRH captain Ishan Kishan praised the work of his young bowling group and highlighted how their planning reduced pressure on leadership. He also touched on batting rhythm, acknowledging that SRH may have been short by around 20 runs, while pointing out that there was room for improvement in shot selection.
- He said it was “lovely” to see young bowlers execute plans effectively, including operating with their own ideas while sticking to the strategy.
- On whether SRH were behind in runs, he felt Abhishek’s early dismissal hurt momentum, but even after scoring 60-odd, SRH—after reaching the 220-230 range in similar situations—might have been short, estimating they were “100%” around 20 runs short.
- He noted that in past matches, one batter among the top three typically scores big, but that pattern didn’t fully materialize on the day, contributing to the gap.
- On trusting the bowlers, he pointed to their effort in practice sessions and said the approach is to back them and let them do their jobs.
- On the pitch, he described it as suitable for batting, suggesting SRH could have been closer by another 30–40 runs, and added that there were lessons to take from the match, particularly on shot selection.
- Regarding the points table, he said SRH aren’t focusing on it right now, emphasizing the need to take things match by match and keep their heads down.
SRH’s next challenge is against Delhi Capitals on April 21, again at the same venue.
