Hyderabad, March 23: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Ishan Kishan was overjoyed after scoring a scintillating century on his debut in Orange clothing against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. His remarkable 106* off 47 balls, which included 11 fours and six sixes, helped SRH post an impressive total of 286/6 at Uppal Stadium on Sunday, just two runs shy of breaking their highest team total in IPL history.
After the innings, Kishan expressed his delight at reaching the century milestone for the first time in the IPL, stating, “Feels good, it was coming for a while. I wanted to get this last season, but I am happy to get that first hundred. The team has put their faith in me, and I want to do my best for them.”
The SRH opener also praised the leadership and support provided by the team management, saying, “The captain has given us all a lot of freedom and confidence, hats off to the management. When Abhishek (Sharma) and Head started, they gave a lot of confidence to us batters in the dugout. The pitch was looking good, and we were just trying to get them under pressure.”
Kishan also gave insight into the team’s approach towards bowling, stating, “We need to be on point with the ball and keep it simple. Rajasthan batters are good, but if we bowl in the right areas and to the plans, we should be good.”
In the match, SRH was put to bat first by RR, who opted to field. The opening partnership between Abhishek Sharma (24 in 11 balls) and Travis Head (67 in 31 balls) laid the foundation, while the stand between Head and Kishan (85 runs) propelled the team forward. Nitish Kumar Reddy (30 in 15 balls) and Heinrich Klaasen (34 in 14 balls) contributed valuable cameos to keep the momentum going.
The Rajasthan bowlers struggled throughout the innings, with Tushar Deshpande (3/44) being the pick of the bowlers. Maheesh Theekshana took two wickets for 52 runs, while Jofra Archer endured a tough outing, delivering the most expensive spell in IPL history, conceding 76 runs in four overs without taking a wicket.
With this explosive performance, SRH not only marked a strong start to the season but also sent a clear message to the rest of the league about their intent and confidence.