Sunrisers Hyderabad Triumphs Over Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 Showdown
SRH Celebrates Victory Against RR
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 14: After securing a victory against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2026, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Ishan Kishan expressed his satisfaction with the performance of his bowlers, particularly highlighting the contributions of debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain. These newcomers replaced seasoned players Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat in the lineup.
The match at Uppal Stadium turned out to be a showcase for the pace bowlers. Ishan Kishan led from the front with an impressive 91 runs, while debutants Praful and Sakib made their mark by each taking four wickets in their first IPL match. This victory ended RR's four-match winning streak, marking SRH's second win of the season, bringing their record to two wins and three losses. Although RR faced their first defeat, they remain at the top of the standings, while SRH climbed to fourth place.
In the post-match presentation, Ishan expressed his delight, stating, “I’m very pleased with this win. We achieved what we aimed for from our bowlers, allowing them the freedom to execute their plans. The credit goes to them. Regarding the debutants, their hunger and motivation were evident. They’ve been working hard with our bowling coach Varun Aaron and learning from experienced players. It was the right decision to give them a chance at home.”
Ishan also showed support for opener Abhishek Sharma, who has struggled this IPL season, recording two ducks and a total of seven this year, a record for an Indian player. He has scored only 129 runs across five matches, with a notable fifty and a quick 48 against KKR.
“Abhishek has a unique playing style, and sometimes he gets out early. Our role is to support him and let him play freely. He will be motivated for the next game,” he added.
Batting first, SRH set a target of 216/6, largely thanks to Ishan's explosive innings (91 off 44 balls, including eight fours and six sixes), along with contributions from Heinrich Klaasen (40 off 26 balls) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (28 off 13 balls). In response, RR's top order crumbled under pressure, with debutant Praful taking 4 wickets for 34 runs in just four overs, leaving RR in dire straits at 9/5. Although Donovan Ferreira (69 off 44 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja (45 off 32 balls) managed to form a partnership for the sake of net run rate, RR was ultimately bowled out for 159, with Sakib also contributing with 4 wickets for 24 runs.