Batter of Sunrisers Hyderabad Abhishek Sharma etched his name in the record books of franchise. He became only the second player after David Warner to finish 100 sixes for SRH in the Indian Premier League.
During the encounter of SRH against Kolkata Knight Riders, the left-hander achieved the milestone, smashing a quickfire 48 off 21 balls including four boundaries and four sixes with a strike rate of over 228. For the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abhishek Sharma now has 101 sixes, which is second only to tally of Warner of 143. Including one century and nine fifties, he has scored 1,808 runs with an average of 26.58 and a strike rate of 162.88.
Sunrisers Hyderabad post high total, bowlers seal dominating win
Sunrisers Hyderabad registering their first win in IPL 2026 by a dominant all-round performance to defeat Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs at Eden Gardens.
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After posting the highest total of 226/8 of the season so far, bowlers of SRH backed it up with a clinical effort. With impressive figures of 3/21, Jaydev Unadkat led the charge, while Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey and Eshan Malinga applied consistent pressure as KKR in just 16 overs were bowled out for 161.
This win marked the first successful defence of a total in IPL 2026.
KKR collapse under pressure even start strong
Chasing 227, with Finn Allen smashing 28 off just seven balls, including a 25-run opening over, KKR got off to a flying begin. However, SRH quickly struck back, with Dubey removing Allen via a sharp caught-and-bowler effort.
Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi then made a 37-run stand to steady the innings, with Raghuvanshi continuing his fine form. But as Unadkat dismissed Rahane with a slower ball, SRH regained control, while a mix-up led to run-out of Cameron Green at the end of the powerplay, leaving KKR at 74/3.
Raghuvanshi before being run out for 52 went on to score his second consecutive fifty in 27 balls. In quick succession, Nitish Kumar Reddy then struck twice, removing Anukul Roy and Rinku Singh to dent KKR’s chase further. Malinga dismissed Sunil Narine and Ramandeep Singh in successive overs. Unadkat returned and removed Kartik Tyagi and Varun Chakaravarthy, sealing a win for SRH.
