Sunrisers Hyderabad secured a crucial five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings on Monday night to strengthen their IPL 2026 playoff hopes and Ishan Kishan played a major role in the win both on and off the field.
Batting on a slightly difficult Chepauk surface, Ishan Kishan delivered a composed yet aggressive innings of 70 runs that helped SRH successfully chase down a target of 181 with an over remaining. His knock turned out to be the difference in a pressure game as Hyderabad booked their place in the playoffs.
The wicketkeeper-batter also grabbed attention after the match for his social media activity. After already celebrating passionately in front of the Chennai crowd during the game, Ishan Kishan later shared pictures from the victory on Instagram with a caption suggesting that SRH’s batting performance spoke louder than the home crowd’s famous whistles. He wrote, “Only thing louder than the whistles was the bat. Into the playoffs.” The post quickly went viral among IPL fans.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYfc0k-E1_a
During the chase, Ishan Kishan struck seven boundaries and three sixes while building a crucial 75-run partnership with Heinrich Klaasen for the third wicket. Heinrich Klaasen supported well with a quick 47 off 26 balls and together the duo shifted the momentum completely in Hyderabad’s favour.
Ishan Kishan eventually got out in the 19th over, but by then SRH were already close to victory.
Speaking after the match, the left-hander explained that he adjusted his approach after observing the pitch conditions while wicketkeeping. He felt the surface was not easy for batting, especially against spin bowling and slower deliveries, which made shot-making difficult in the later stages of the innings.
Because of that, Ishan Kishan decided to stay till the end rather than play overly aggressive cricket early on. He believed finishing the chase himself would make things easier for the remaining batters on a challenging wicket.
With this innings, Ishan Kishan’s impressive IPL 2026 campaign continued. He has now scored 490 runs in 13 innings this season and currently sits seventh in the Orange Cap standings.
