Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Ishan Kishan said on Monday that he felt “blessed from upstairs” as members of his family watched a crucial IPL knock in Chennai, a special moment made even more emotional by recent grief in his extended circle. His bereaved cousin’s family was present at the ground after his cousin’s sister passed away, and Kishan revealed that the motivation to deliver came from seeing that support from the stands. In the match against Chennai Super Kings, Kishan struck 70 off 47 balls to steer SRH to a five-wicket victory while chasing a target of 181, a result that also ensured the franchise booked a place in the IPL play-offs.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Kishan explained what the innings meant to him beyond runs. “I would just say one thing. Sometimes I feel it’s also about motivation, and for me, my motivation was today—my cousin is just standing there. He lost his sister. It was a tough time in our family and they are watching the match for the first time here. So I just wanted to finish the game for them,” he said. The batter added that the chase required belief throughout, describing it as a sense of power that helped him trust his own ability to help the team. “I’m glad they were here to witness this innings, and I was able to finish this game. I was just feeling blessed from upstairs. I had that sense of power, like, yes, I can do it if I’m there for the team. We will qualify, especially. He’ll be happy about it,” Kishan added.
Kishan also touched on the conditions at Chepauk, stressing that the target of 181 would not be straightforward on that surface. He said that when he was keeping, he sensed the wicket was difficult, particularly as the spinners came into the attack and the slower deliveries started to skid and trouble batters. “When I was keeping, I felt the wicket was not easy—especially when the spinners were bowling, and the slower balls working really well. I had to just play till the last over. It was just about being there and believing in yourself. You cannot doubt yourself at any time. Being in the middle, it’s difficult for the bowlers to get it right every time,” he said.
When asked about the partnership that helped SRH turn the chase in the right direction—an elevated third-wicket stand worth 75 involving Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen—Kishan credited their intent and execution. “We both (me and Heinrich Klaasen) were just playing our shots,” he said.
SRH captain Pat Cummins, who finished with three wickets for 28 runs in the CSK innings, praised Kishan and Klaasen for building the platform that made the chase achievable. Cummins described the pitch as a tough one to bat on and said the partnership stood out for its resistance and shot-making. “(It was a) pretty tough wicket to bat. That partnership (between Kishan and Klaasen) was really tough. They just chose their match-ups, and played some ridiculous shots,” Cummins said.
From the bowling perspective, Cummins added that the ball seemed to be getting low, which made it hard for batters to time everything perfectly. “When we were bowling, we felt like it was staying a bit low. (It) felt like it came down to one or two partnerships, felt like it was round about par. Can’t give yourself a better chance than what we have,” he remarked. On the play-offs ahead, the captain said the mindset now has to shift from qualification to the next challenge. “The real stuff starts now. There’s always a few things (to work on). Overall, really happy,” Cummins added.
Klaasen, who received the Orange Cap after scoring 555 runs from 13 matches, admitted that SRH’s chase was not easy. He described the opening phase of his innings as a moment of adjustment, saying he initially looked to block early balls before realising he couldn’t continue in that mode. “The first couple of balls I blocked, and I said ‘no, I can’t play like this’. The pitched stayed low. It was a little bit up and down. It’s not an easy place to play cricket,” Klaasen said. He also spoke about the points scenario and what SRH can still aim for if they finish their league phase strongly. “If we win the last game, I think we can make it one or two (on the points table),” he added.
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, meanwhile, said he was proud of the effort despite the team missing out on a few key players. He described the contest as a high-quality T20 match in which CSK remained in contention until the second last over. “(It was a) good game of cricket. We were in the game until the second last over. Good T20 pitch. Didn’t change over the course of the game. Just missed out on a few. Cashing in on the opportunity (could have been done),” Gaikwad said.
Gaikwad also highlighted the positives he felt came out of the campaign and the collective effort shown by the squad available to them. “Still, given the team we had, and limited squad, I’m still proud and feel we did well. Lot of positives, to be honest. Sanju (Samson) has been playing really well for us. Missed out on a few key players. Obviously depends on a lot of factors,” he said, adding that the side gave their heart out and performed better than they did last year.
