For the first time this season, a team managed to defend a total. And it wasn’t even close in the end. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) outplayed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 65 runs at Eden Gardens, handing the hosts their second straight defeat.
SRH posted 226/8, the highest total of IPL 2026 so far, and while KKR threatened for a brief phase, the chase fell apart quickly as they were bowled out for 161 in just 16 overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy excelled in his all-round show as he made a superb contribution with the bat before coming to bowl those hard lengths with the ball and creating an impact.
Head-Abhishek set the tone; Klaasen finishes the job
SRH’s innings was built on one thing, intent. From ball one. After a quiet start, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma went hard. Really hard. The pair added 82 runs in just 5.4 overs, completely taking the game away in the powerplay. Head made 46 off 21, while Abhishek smashed 48 off 21 at a strike rate above 220.
The standout moment was Abhishek taking Varun Chakravarthy apart for 25 runs in an over. That phase broke KKR early. To their credit, KKR did pull things back. Blessing Muzarabani picked up key wickets, including Abhishek and Ishan Kishan in quick succession, and SRH went from 84/1 to 118/4. Abhishek was given out on the back of a controversial umpiring decision.
But just when it looked like KKR had a window, Heinrich Klaasen stepped in. His 52 off 35 ensured SRH didn’t stall. Nitish Kumar Reddy added 39 off 24, and the last four overs produced 51 runs. That late push is what took the game beyond reach.
KKR collapse as SRH pacers do well
KKR’s chase started in typical chaotic fashion. Finn Allen came out swinging and smashed 28 off just 7 balls, including a 24-run over off David Payne. But once he fell, the innings lost direction. Angkrish Raghuvanshi kept them in it. His 52 off 29 balls took KKR to 110/3 in 10 overs, and at that point, the chase was still alive.
Then came the turning point. A mix-up. A run-out. Raghuvanshi gone. Earlier, it was Cameron Green who was dismissed due to a horrible mix-up. Nothing was going in KKR’s way and the running between the wickets was awful.
From there, it was a collapse. Rinku Singh tried with 35 off 25, but wickets kept falling around him. SRH’s bowlers sensed the opening and closed it quickly. Jaydev Unadkat (3/21) and Eshan Malinga (2/14) were clinical, while Nitish Reddy chipped in with two key wickets. KKR went from being in the game to being all out in the space of six overs.
IPL 2026 points table after KKR vs SRH match
| Rank | Team | P | W | L | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RR | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +4.171 |
| 2 | RCB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +2.907 |
| 3 | DC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +1.397 |
| 4 | MI | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +0.687 |
| 5 | PBKS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +0.509 |
| 6 | SRH | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +0.469 |
| 7 | GT | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -0.509 |
| 8 | LSG | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -1.397 |
| 9 | KKR | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -1.964 |
| 10 | CSK | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -4.171 |
Next IPL 2026 match
- Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 7:30 PM IST on April 3, Friday
