Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) gave a full performance Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) 65 runs in Match 6 of IPL 2026 at a packed Eden Gardens. Asked to bat first, SRH posted a total of 226/8 and then backed it up with a clinical bowling effort, KKR bundle out for 161 in just 16 overs.
The contest quickly became one-sided as SRH were in control in both the innings. From explosive batting to disciplined bowling, it was a performance that highlighted their depth and intent early in the tournament.
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane opted to bowl first after winning the toss, hoping the pitch would offer some early help. But this decision did not go according to plan as SRH’s batting came out with attacking intent right from the start.
Explosive batting builds a huge total for SRH
SRH’s innings was built on aggressive batting and a strong partnership, with many innings contributing valuable runs. The tone was set early by openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who surprised the KKR bowlers with their fearless approach.
The pair put together a quick-fire stand of 82 runs in just 34 balls. Head hit 46 off 21 balls while Abhishek looked equally dangerous scoring 48 off 21 balls. Their aggressive start ensured that SRH were well ahead of the game in the power play.
Although both goals fell in quick succession, the momentum did not slow down. Ishan Kishan scored a short but effective strike, while Heinrich Klaasen was responsible for the intermediate passes. Klaasen anchored the innings with an attacking 52 off 35 balls, mixing smart placement with powerful hitting.
He found solid support Nitish Kumar ReddyA quick addition to 39 from 24 balls. Together they put together a partnership of 82 which took SRH past the 200-run mark and put a lot of pressure on KKR.
Late contributions from the lower order, including quick cameos from Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar, saw SRH finish strong at 226/8 – a total that always looked above par.
Blessing Muzarabani stood out as the lone bright spot for KKR. The Zimbabwean pacer took 4 wickets for 41 runs and brushed off key strikes but lacked support from the rest of the bowling unit who struggled to stem the flow of runs.
KKR’s chase falters under pressure
Chasing a challenging 227, Kolkata Knight Riders needed a perfect start. Although they showed aggression, they could not build a sustainable partnership and kept losing wickets at crucial moments.
Finn Allen got off to an explosive start, smashing 28 off just 7 balls and briefly raising hopes of a strong chase. But his early dismissal halted the momentum. Later, Angkrish Raghuvanshi showed composure under pressure as he went ahead with a knock of 52 off 29 balls.
Despite his efforts, the doors kept falling at the other end. With Rahane and Cameron Green failing to make an impact, KKR struggled to reach the required ratio.
Rinku Singh tried to steady the innings with a quick 35, but the chase effectively fell apart after he was dismissed. The lower order failed to offer much resistance as the asking rate rose rapidly.
SRH bowlers executed their plan brilliantly. Jaydev Unadkat led the charge with figures of 3/21, striking at crucial moments to disrupt KKR’s chase. He was well supported by Eshan Malinga, who impressed with 2/14, while Nitish Reddy and Harsh Dubey took important wickets.
Here’s how the fans reacted:
SRH win their 2nd match against KKR at Eden Gardens by a huge margin of 65 runs 🔥
It was an absolute clinical bowling performance from the SRH bowlers who gave the KKR batsmen no chance to get back into the game with the regular wickets after their below average bowling in the first game 👏#KKRvSRH— God of Shinobi 🇮🇳🚩 (@Shinobi_nokami1) April 2, 2026
WORKED AND DUSTED! ✅
🎥 Jaydev Unadkat finishes in style and @SunRisers have their own ✌️points 🧡
Account card ▶️ https://t.co/iCMFpDudP7#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #KKRvSRH pic.twitter.com/54FBHNcWAz
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 2, 2026
Victory by 65 runs. This is great. Especially with the bowling unit considered to be the weakest among all the teams.
Excellent @SunRisers 👏#KKRvsSRH #KKRvSRH
— Shashank (@Shashank97says) April 2, 2026
NITISH KUMAR REDDY’S REACTION AFTER RINKU SINGH’S ADMISSION #KKR #SRH #KKRvsSRH #IshanKishan #AbhishekSharma #VarunChakravarti pic.twitter.com/vIz7MP5V4K
— Somesh Jangra (@CelebrityGalax) April 2, 2026
In fact SRH played very well for the 1st time after this nightmare Harsh Dubey is the hero by removing Finn with an excellent delivery and an extraordinary catch.#KKRvSRH
— Sir Duncan🐉 (@iamvamsi95) April 2, 2026
In batting league… this kind of bowling wins matches 👏🔥 #IPL#KKRVSRH
— EYEDOCTOR (@DrSiddhart14213) April 2, 2026
Narine, Ramandeep, Rinku, Rahane gave SRH some catching experience after some midfield. So welcome to my KKR ☺️☺️☺️!! #KKRvsSRH #KKRvSRH #IPL #KolkataKnights
— GAURESH MAHADIK (@Gaureshsm53) April 2, 2026
Over 8️⃣0️⃣ runs in Powerplay 😯
🎥 Glimpses of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma’s fiery partnership 🔥#SRH 84/1 after 6️⃣
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/iCMFpDudP7#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #KKRvSRH | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/kWyL3BNLT7
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 2, 2026
Malinga did and dusted for SRH #IPL2026 #KKRvSRH pic.twitter.com/WjcHS25wZu
— Akhand Talks Cricket (@AkhandSharma9) April 2, 2026
So we beat the worst team in the tournament. Beating KKR literally means nothing. They will finish last again.#KKRvSRH
— Dave (ARTETA OUT) (@AFC_Dev17) April 2, 2026
Forget our bowling which is the worst, if we look at our batting, we lack depth here too. Rinku, Ramandeep hasn’t scored in such a long time. Anukul isn’t a reliable batter and we don’t have a finisher since Dre Russ retired.
— Prantik (@Pran__07) April 2, 2026
