Chennai– Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Pat Cummins lauded his team’s composed and strategic approach following their five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL on Friday. The match marked SRH’s first-ever win at the Chepauk Stadium against the five-time champions, giving their season a much-needed lift.
The foundation of the win was laid by a clinical bowling performance, led by Harshal Patel’s sensational four-wicket haul. In the chase of 155, Ishan Kishan’s gritty 44 and Kamindu Mendis’ calm finish sealed the deal for the visitors with eight balls to spare.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Cummins reflected on the balanced performance:
“It was great. A few things came together tonight; the boys played well. [The bowling performance] Thought it was pretty clinical. A couple of guys at the top wanted to take the game on, but the boys shifted defensively and did really well (while batting).”
The skipper further explained the team’s strategic changes, particularly the batting order:
“Our record against CSK isn’t that great, so it is good to fix that one up. We wish we finished that more comfortably, but overall, happy with that win,” he added.
He also mentioned experimenting with Heinrich Klaasen at the top and backing Nitish Kumar Reddy with a finisher role to build confidence.
Earlier in the evening, SRH chose to bowl first after winning the toss. CSK managed 154 in 19.5 overs, with explosive cameos from Dewald Brevis (42 off 25 balls, 4 sixes, 1 four) and Ayush Mhatre (30 off 19 balls, 6 fours). However, wickets fell consistently, and SRH bowlers maintained control throughout.
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Harshal Patel stood out with figures of 4/28 in his four overs and was rightly named ‘Player of the Match’. Jaydev Unadkat also delivered a tidy spell, finishing with 2/21 in 2.5 overs.
SRH’s chase wasn’t smooth sailing. At one stage, they were 106/5 in the 14th over, but Ishan Kishan’s steady 44 (5 fours, 1 six) and an unbeaten 32 from Kamindu Mendis (22 balls, 3 fours) ensured victory.
CSK’s standout bowler was Noor Ahmed, who picked up 2/42.
With this result, SRH climbed to eighth place in the points table, with three wins from nine matches (six points). CSK remained at the bottom, managing just two wins in nine games (four points).