IPL 2026: Klaasen, Bowlers Help SRH Get First Win Of Season, Beat KKR By 65 Runs (ld)

IPL 2026: Klaasen, bowlers help SRH get first win of season, beat KKR by 65 runs (ld) (Image Source: IANS)

Kolkata Knight Riders: Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat returned with impressive figures of 3-21 as Sunrisers Hyderabad delivered a commanding bowling performance to crush Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs and secure their first victory of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.

After SRH posted 226/8, the highest total of the competition so far, thanks to Heinrich Klaasen hitting 52 and Abhishek Sharma smashing 48, Unadkat’s spell was the highlight of their successful defence. He was well supported by Eshan Malinga, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Harsh Dubey, who maintained relentless pressure throughout as KKR were bowled out for 161 all out in 16 overs, after being 110/3 at one point.

The victory was significant not only because it gave SRH their first two points of the campaign, but also because it marked the first successful defence of a total in this year’s tournament. Barring Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 52, KKR faltered against the disciplined SRH attack, with the pacers using slower balls very well. As a result, they never really threatened to chase down the uphill target.

KKR’s chase began explosively as Finn Allen smashed 28 off just seven balls, including four boundaries and two sixes in the 25-run opening over bowled by David Payne. But Dubey struck a crucial blow by dismissing Allen through a sharp caught and bowled chance.

Ajinkya Rahane and Raghuvanshi carried the momentum through a 37-run stand for the second wicket, with the latter looking sublime in his strokeplay. But SRH soon made a comeback as Unadkat removed Rahane with a slower ball, which he hit to mid-wicket, while Cameron Green was run out on the last ball of the sixth over, leaving KKR at 74/3.

Raghuvanshi continued to attack and reached his second consecutive fifty in 27 balls, before being run out for 52 in the 11th over. Nitish, on the money with his lines, accounted for Anukul Roy and Rinku Singh in quick succession to derail KKR’s chase.

Despite a brief counterattack from Sunil Narine, who struck two sixes in his 12-run cameo, Malinga dismissed him and Ramandeep Singh in successive overs. Unadkat then returned to remove Kartik Tyagi and Varun Chakaravarthy to end with figures of 3-21 and get their first win of the competition.

Previously, blistering knocks from Abhishek and Klaasen helped SRH post the highest total of the season. For KKR, pacer Blessing Muzarabani ended with 4-41, and despite the side not conceding much in the back-end overs, they still had an uphill mountain to climb.

After being put in to bat, SRH got off to a flying start, with Abhishek and Travis Head tearing into the new-ball attack, who erred in bowling too full and short. Head smashed 46 off 21 balls, laced with six fours and three sixes, while Abhishek struck 48 off 21 deliveries, including four fours and as many sixes. The pair added 82 runs in under five overs, setting the tone for a mammoth score.

After Head was taken out by Tyagi, Muzarabani pulled things back for KKR with a double strike in the eighth over - removing Abhishek and a belligerent Ishan Kishan in quick succession. Though Narine and Chakaravarthy were expensive, Anukul Roy managed to hold his own by accounting for Aniket Verma, leaving SRH at 118/4 in 9.2 overs.

Klaasen and Reddy (39 off 24 balls) steadied the innings with a crucial 82-run stand for the fifth wicket, the second-highest partnership for SRH in IPL history at that position. Whenever the bowlers erred, the duo were quick to send the ball over the boundary ropes – with Reddy also given a reprieve by Chakaravarthy.

Though Nitish and Salil Arora fell to Vaibhav Arora, Klaasen carried on and maintained his composure to complete a fluent half-century – his first of this season. His 52 off 35 balls featured four boundaries and a six, ensuring SRH maintained momentum despite regular wickets.

Dubey chipped in with a brisk cameo, striking successive boundaries off Arora in the 19th over. Muzarabani returned to claim two more wickets in the final, including Klaasen, to finish with his first four-fer in the IPL. Despite the late strikes, SRH crossed the 220-mark, which was more than sufficient to get them off the mark on the points table.

Though Nitish and Salil Arora fell to Vaibhav Arora, Klaasen carried on and maintained his composure to complete a fluent half-century – his first of this season. His 52 off 35 balls featured four boundaries and a six, ensuring SRH maintained momentum despite regular wickets.

Sunrisers Hyderabad 226/8 in 20 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 52, Abhishek Sharma 48; Blessing Muzarabani 4-41, Vaibhav Arora 2-47) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 161 all out in 16 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 52, Rinku Singh 35; Jaydev Unadkat 3-21, Eshan Malinga 2-14) by 65 runs

Article Source: IANS