SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by five wickets on Monday, May 18, to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs. CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and chose to bat first at MA Chidambaram Stadium in the crucial encounter.
A few CSK batters got off to impressive starts but failed to convert them into big scores. Dewlad Brevis was the top performer with an impactful 44 off 27 balls. Kartik Sharma (32 off 19) and Sanju Samson (27 off 13) also chipped in with important cameos as the side posted 180/7 in 20 overs.
SRH skipper Pat Cummins was the pick of the bowlers, recording brilliant figures of 3/28 in four overs. Hyderabad lost opener Travis Head in the third over. However, Ishan Kishan put them in a commanding position with an important 70-run knock from 47 balls. Heinrich Klaasen did a fine job as well with his 47 off 26.
The 2016 champions chased down the target with one over to spare. Kishan was declared the Player of the Match for his batting exploits. On that note, let’s look at three interesting moments from the contest that generated a buzz among the fans.
#3 Sakib Hussain cleans up Shivam Dube with a clever slower ball
CSK all-rounder Shivam Dube scored 26 runs off 23 balls before perishing in the 19th over. SRH pacer Sakib Hussain provided his team with a crucial breakthrough by outsmarting the swashbuckling batter at the crucial juncture.
The over kicked off with Dube hitting a four towards fine leg. Hussain bounced back by dismissing the southpaw with a smart off-cutter. The pacer bowled it short and into the stumps.
Dube went for a cross-batted shot on the leg side but was completely deceived. He was undone by the lack of pace, and the ball ended up hitting the stumps. Watch the video here:
#2 Urvil Patel shows no signs of pressure against Pat Cummins
Urvil Patel walked out to bat at No. 3 when CSK were 31/1 in 2.3 overs. The wicketkeeper-batter launched an early assault against Pat Cummins, hitting back-to-back sixes off the Australian fast bowler.
The SRH skipper started with a full toss. Urvil failed to capitalize on the loosener, and it was a dot ball. Cummins followed it with a short-pitched delivery outside the off stump.
The 27-year-old got hold of it this time and slammed a huge six over the deep mid-wicket boundary. Cummins dished out another full toss next, and Urvil dispatched it over deep backward square leg for another maximum.
Watch the video here:
#1 Sanju Samson, Heinrich Klaasen engage in a heated exchange after the CSK keeper’s lightning-fast stumping
Sanju Samson dazzled fans with his superb glove work as he produced an MS Dhoni-esque stumping to end Heinrich Klaasen’s knock. The SRH star missed out on a well-deserved half-century, departing after a 47-run knock.
Klaasen went for an inside-out shot against left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad in the 15th over. However, the ball beat the outside edge of the bat and went to Samson, who dislodged the bails in a fraction of a second.
The batter was stumped and had to walk back. There was some drama after the dismissal, with Klaasen and Samson engaging in a verbal altercation. Watch the video here:
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Edited by Aditya Suketu Desai
