Sunrisers Hyderabad qualified for the playoffs with an impressive five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in a high-scoring IPL encounter on a tough pitch. Chasing 181, SRH completed the task in 19 overs with contributions across the batting order, while CSK failed to defend a competitive total despite a few strong individual performances.
CSK recover after a middle-order collapse
Batting first, Chennai Super Kings posted 180/7 in their 20 overs. Sanju Samson provided a blazing start with 27 off just 13 balls, smashing five boundaries and a six. Kartik Sharma added momentum in the middle overs with a quickfire 32 from 19 deliveries, while Dewald Brevis played the anchor role brilliantly with 44 off 27 balls.
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However, CSK struggled to build lasting partnerships after a promising start. Ruturaj Gaikwad managed only 15, while Shivam Dube scored 26 but could not accelerate consistently in the death overs. SRH bowlers kept striking at regular intervals to stop CSK from crossing the 190-run mark.
ISHAN KISHAN – THE SUPERSTAR OF SRH 👑😠pic.twitter.com/hUXdRey9Kl
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 18, 2026
Pat Cummins led from the front with a superb spell of 3/28 in four overs. Sakib Hussain chipped in with two wickets, while Eshan Malinga and Pratul Hinge picked up one each. CSK lost wickets in clusters during the second half of the innings, which ultimately proved costly.
Kishan and Klaasen finish the chase in style
Sunrisers Hyderabad began aggressively but lost Travis Head early for six. Abhishek Sharma scored 26 before Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen took control of the chase with a game-changing partnership.
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Kishan played a composed yet attacking knock of 70 from 47 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes. Klaasen complemented him perfectly with 47 off only 26 deliveries at a strike rate above 180. Their partnership ensured SRH remained ahead of the required rate throughout the innings.
Even after Klaasen departed, SRH stayed calm. Nitish Kumar Reddy added 11, while Aniket Verma and Smaran Ravichandran finished the chase comfortably with six balls remaining. Mukesh Choudhary and Noor Ahmad picked up wickets for CSK, but the bowlers could not stop SRH’s dominant batting display.
