Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 65 runs to register their first win of the season in the IPL 2026 match. Batting first, SRH posted a mammoth total of 226 runs. In reply, KKR were bowled out for 161, ending the match in a one-sided fashion.
On Thursday (April 2), KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and decided to bowl first. batting first, Sunrisers Hyderabad got off to a great start. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma added 82 runs in 34 balls for the first wicket to give the team a stormy start. Head scored 46 runs in 21 balls, while Abhishek Sharma hit 48 runs in 21 balls.
Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy then steadied the innings. They put on a crucial 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket in 51 balls, putting the team in a strong position. Klaasen scored 52 runs off 35 balls, while Reddy made 39 runs off 24 balls. Thanks to these innings, SRH posted a mammoth total of 226 runs in 20 overs.
Chasing the target of 227 runs, Kolkata Knight Riders also had a quick start and scored 74 runs in the powerplay. But along with this, the team also lost three important wickets in the form of captain Ajinkya Rahane (8), Finn Allen (28) and Cameron Green (0) within the powerplay itself. In the middle order, Angkrish Raghuvanshi tried to handle the team by scoring 52 runs in 29 balls and Rinku Singh scored 35 runs in 25 balls. But after the dismissal of these two, the team came under pressure and was all out for 161 runs in 16 overs.
“Allow the youngsters to make mistakes: Ruturaj Gaikwad”
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad believes it is important to let young and inexperienced players make their own mistakes and play freely as they head into their IPL clash with Punjab Kings. Before the game, Gaikwad shared that he isn’t pressuring the team with his captaincy style, but he’s just trying to keep things positive in the group.
Ruturaj said, “Looking at this team now, it is a very young team. The excitement is there but at the same time, there’s a lot of difference between experienced players and inexperienced players. So, you have to allow them to make mistakes. You have to allow them to express themselves. You have to make sure that they are in a good headspace.”
NZ star Mitchell Santner joins Mumbai Indians squad
New Zealand spin bowler Mitchell Santner has joined the squad Mumbai Indians (MI) and could be available for selection for the upcoming match against the Delhi Capitals on April 4. According to reports, Mitchell Santner linked up with the Mumbai Indians in Delhi, where the next clash between the two teams is scheduled to take place at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium. Santner could potentially feature in Mumbai’s Playing XI against Delhi this Saturday.
Mumbai began their IPL 2026 journey with a resounding victory. Under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya, Mumbai delivered a stellar performance in their tournament opener, defeating the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 6 wickets. Chasing a target of 221 runs set by KKR, Mumbai successfully reached the total in just 19.1 overs, losing only 4 wickets in the process. This also marked Mumbai’s highest-ever successful run chase in the history of the IPL.
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