Ishan Kishan dazzled the Rajasthan Royals attack on Monday in an IPL 2026 outing at Hyderabad. With Abhishek Sharma dismissed for a duck on the very first ball of the chase, Kishan walked in early and took control, striking freely around the ground.
Built on timing and intent, Kishan’s knock featured a 30-ball fifty and then another gear as he raced to 91 off 43 deliveries. He finally fell in the 14th over, caught after a mis-hit off Sandeep Sharma, but the impact of the innings lingered—Kishan received a standing ovation from the entire stadium. His 91 came with six maximums and eight boundaries to show how dominant his spell of hitting was.
Quick facts
- Match: IPL 2026 in Hyderabad on Monday
- Team focus: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals
- Key innings: Ishan Kishan 91 off 43 balls
- Milestone: 30-ball half-century
- Dismissal: Out in the 14th over to Sandeep Sharma
- Boundary count: 6 sixes and 8 fours
Kishan’s first towering six arrived in the third over off Jofra Archer. He picked a short ball and launched it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum, setting the tone for the rest of his innings. Even in the stands, SRH owner Kavya Maran watched the shot with a broad smile as the crowd caught the momentum.
SRH’s playoff push still alive
While the innings stole the spotlight, Heinrich Klaasen believes Sunrisers Hyderabad can still build toward a playoff place despite a rocky start. The IPL 2016 champions returned to their home base after suffering a six-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings at New Chandigarh.
For Klaasen’s side, the numbers have been difficult: they have managed just a single win from four matches. Still, the skipper framed the situation as survivable, suggesting that the tournament has shifted into a fresh run of games where a quick turnaround can rewrite their position.
“It’s not the perfect start that we wanted. I think we are one game away from where we would have been happy. If you gave us one or two wins out of four, we would have been happy. But now we’re basically playing a new 10-match series,” Klaasen said ahead of SRH hosting Rajasthan Royals.
He added that the target remains ambitious but realistic, with the team still aiming for seven or eight victories. Klaasen stressed that the squad’s quality and internal togetherness give them a pathway back into contention. “So life’s a little bit harder, but we still can do it. We’ve got an incredible squad and incredible unity to still make it to the playoffs,” he said.
Klaasen on form and wicketkeeping
On his own batting rhythm, Klaasen suggested he has not been at his sharpest pace. “Six out of ten. I would like to go a little bit quicker. The last game didn’t go so well for me. I gave away a couple of runs and struggled a little bit. But in the first three games, I was pretty pleased with myself,” he explained.
He also felt he may have missed a boundary or two, but believes the overall picture of how he has handled the matches has been positive. Klaasen concluded by pointing to the need to move on quickly—“It’s just about getting the last game out of my head,” he said.
Klaasen then clarified why he has not been wicketkeeping this season. “No, last year Pat was just happy with me next to him, giving him some ideas. We quite liked how the local players listened to Ishan when he was keeping. So that was the strategy going into this season as well,” he said.
With that plan disrupted by injuries, Klaasen explained the decision was mainly medical rather than tactical. “Unfortunately, Pat is still injured, and that’s the only reason why I’m not keeping. But I think my keeping career is almost very done,” he added.
