KKR vs SRH: Hyderabad won by 65 runs- Klaasen 52, Abhishek 48, Head 46, Reddy 39 powered SRH to 226 before bowling out KKR for 161 at Eden Garden
KKR vs SRH: Sunrisers Hyderabad delivered a strong all-round performance and defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs in Match 6 of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens. Sunrisers Hyderabad first scored 226/8 in 20 overs and then bowled out Kolkata Knight Riders for 161 runs in 16 overs to register their first win of the season.
Overall, Sunrisers Hyderabad controlled the match with aggressive batting and disciplined bowling. In addition, Nitish Kumar Reddy played an important all-round role and won the Player of the Match award.
Table of contents
KKR Win Toss and Opt to Bowl
At the start, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bowl first on a batting-friendly pitch. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad batters quickly took charge of the game. As a result, KKR bowlers came under pressure early in the match.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Post 226/8 in 20 Overs
Sunrisers Hyderabad got off to a brilliant start. Openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma attacked from the beginning and scored quickly. Because of their aggressive approach, SRH crossed 80 runs during the powerplay.
Travis Head scored 46 runs off 21 balls, hitting 6 fours and 3 sixes. At the same time, Abhishek Sharma scored 48 runs off 21 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes. Together, they gave Sunrisers Hyderabad a strong start and built a solid foundation.
After the opening partnership, Ishan Kishan added 14 runs off 9 balls before getting dismissed.
Then, during the middle overs, Heinrich Klaasen played a crucial innings of 52 runs off 35 balls. He handled the innings calmly and kept the scoreboard moving.
Later, Nitish Kumar Reddy played an important knock of 39 runs off 24 balls. He accelerated in the final overs and helped Sunrisers Hyderabad cross the 220-run mark.
Eventually, Sunrisers Hyderabad finished at 226/8 in 20 overs and set a target of 227 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Also Read: RCB vs SRH IPL 2026: Head-to-Head, Most Runs, Most Wickets And Probable 11
KKR Bowling: Muzarabani Picks Four Wickets
Among Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers, Blessing Muzarabani delivered the best performance. He took 4 wickets for 41 runs in his four overs.
Meanwhile, other bowlers also picked wickets:
- Vaibhav Arora — 2 wickets for 47 runs
- Kartik Tyagi — 1 wicket
- Anukul Roy — 1 wicket
However, despite these wickets, KKR bowlers conceded runs at a high rate. Consequently, Sunrisers Hyderabad managed to post a big total.
Also Read: IPL 2026: All You Need to Know Before the Season Begins
Kolkata Knight Riders Collapse for 161
While chasing 227 runs, Kolkata Knight Riders started aggressively. Finn Allen gave a quick start by scoring 28 runs off just 7 balls.
However, KKR kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Captain Ajinkya Rahane scored 8 runs, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi played a fighting knock of 52 runs to keep KKR in the contest.
Meanwhile, Rinku Singh also contributed 35 runs off 25 balls. Despite these efforts, other batters failed to build partnerships.
Other contributions included:
- Sunil Narine — 9 runs
- Ramandeep Singh — 5 runs
- Varun Chakravarthy — 6 runs
As a result, Kolkata Knight Riders were bowled out for 161 runs in 16 overs and lost the match by 65 runs.
Also Read: IPL 2026 Begins March 28: When Will CSK, MI and RCB Play? Full Team Fixtures Revealed
Sunrisers Hyderabad Bowlers Dominate
Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers performed brilliantly during the chase. They took wickets regularly and never allowed KKR to settle.
Jaydev Unadkat led the bowling attack with 3 wickets for 21 runs.
Other bowling performances included:
- Eshan Malinga — 2 wickets
- Nitish Kumar Reddy — 2 wickets
- Harsh Dubey — 1 wicket
- Shivang Kumar — 1 wicket
Because of this disciplined bowling, SRH completed a comfortable victory.
Playing XI — Both Teams
Sunrisers Hyderabad Playing XI
- Travis Head
- Abhishek Sharma
- Ishan Kishan
- Heinrich Klaasen
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Aniket Verma
- Harsh Dubey
- Shivang Kumar
- Jaydev Unadkat
- Eshan Malinga
- David Payne
Also Read: Concerns Mount Over AWHO’s Unused Land and Decline in New Housing Projects
Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI
- Finn Allen
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi
- Cameron Green
- Rinku Singh
- Sunil Narine
- Ramandeep Singh
- Vaibhav Arora
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Harshit Rana
- Blessing Muzarabani
Key Match Highlights
- Sunrisers Hyderabad — 226/8 in 20 overs
- Kolkata Knight Riders — 161 all out in 16 overs
- Heinrich Klaasen — 52 runs
- Abhishek Sharma — 48 runs
- Travis Head — 46 runs
- Nitish Kumar Reddy — 39 runs
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi — 52 runs
- Blessing Muzarabani — 4 wickets
- Jaydev Unadkat — 3 wickets
- Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 65 runs
Player of the Match
Nitish Kumar Reddy was named Player of the Match after scoring 39 runs and taking two important wickets.
Final Match Summary
Overall, Sunrisers Hyderabad dominated the match with excellent batting and disciplined bowling. Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy helped SRH reach 226/8. After that, Jaydev Unadkat and other bowlers restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to 161 runs.
Although Kolkata Knight Riders started aggressively, they kept losing wickets and failed to chase the target. In the end, Sunrisers Hyderabad secured their first win of IPL 2026, while Kolkata Knight Riders suffered their second defeat of the season.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
khushisikarwar is an award-winning journalist and content creator who thrives on telling stories that matter. As a key contributor to Newsisland, [she] focus on cultural commentary, providing readers with thought-provoking insights.
