Chennai, May 19 (H.S.): Ishan Kishan played a magnificent innings for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Chennai Super Kings on Monday night in the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), guiding his side to a crucial victory. After scoring a composed 70 off 47 balls on Chennai’s slow and demanding surface, Kishan said after the match that the wicket was far from easy and that his primary objective was to bat until the very end.

Kishan revealed that he had already sensed during wicketkeeping that chasing a target of 180 would not be straightforward.

Speaking after the match, he said, “While I was wicketkeeping, I realised that this wicket was certainly not an easy one to bat on. Especially when the spinners were operating and the slower deliveries were gripping effectively, it became clear that chasing this target would be difficult. As the No. 3 batter, it was my responsibility to stay till the end and finish the game for the team.”

Kishan came to the crease in the third over and remained firmly settled for almost the entire chase. He was dismissed when Hyderabad needed just six runs for victory, but by then he had already laid the foundation for the win with his responsible innings.

He further said, “It was all about maintaining belief in myself. There are times when conditions become challenging, but you cannot afford to doubt yourself. I simply wanted to keep things straightforward and bat for as many overs as possible.”

Kishan also added that being a left-handed batter makes it difficult for bowlers to consistently hit the ideal areas.

The partnership between Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen completely shifted the momentum of the match. The duo came together when SRH were struggling at 56/2, with the required run rate climbing above 10 runs per over.

Klaasen also described the pitch as challenging after the game. He said, “Initially, I played out a few deliveries cautiously, but then I told myself that I could not continue batting that way. I needed to play aggressively, and fortunately that strategy worked today.”

Speaking further about the Chennai surface, Klaasen remarked, “The pitch was staying low. While we were bowling, the cutters were becoming extremely slow and the ball was keeping low off the surface. Batting was not easy, although this was still one of the better pitches Chennai has produced.”

Powered by Ishan Kishan’s composed and responsible knock, Sunrisers Hyderabad registered an impressive victory in a high-pressure encounter.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar