Sunrisers Hyderabad unleashed a batting masterclass reminiscent of their most explosive performances, securing a 110-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in a crucial IPL 2025 encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday. (Highlights)
Powered by a blistering century from Heinrich Klaasen and a commanding innings from Travis Head, SRH once again demonstrated their formidable batting depth, leaving KKR with a mountain too steep to climb.
Opting to bat first on a pitch that promised runs, SRH got off to a flying start. Travis Head (76 off 40 balls), in sublime form this season, laid a robust foundation. He was particularly severe on the KKR pacers, finding boundaries with ease in the powerplay. Abhishek Sharma (32 off 16 balls) provided able support, and the duo put on a rapid 92 for the first wicket, setting the tempo for a huge total.
Playing XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Anrich Nortje, Varun Chakaravarthy
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhinav Manohar, Pat Cummins(c), Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga
Sunrisers Hyderabad Impact Subs: Harsh Dubey
Kolkata Knight Riders Impact Subs: Angkrish Raghuvanshi
However, the real fireworks began with the arrival of Heinrich Klaasen. The South African dynamo was in a destructive mood, launching an assault that saw him race to his century in just 37 deliveries. Klaasen remained unbeaten on 105 off 39 balls, an innings studded with nine towering sixes and seven fours that left the KKR bowlers shell-shocked and the Delhi crowd mesmerised. His onslaught, particularly in the death overs, propelled SRH to an imposing 278 for 3 in their 20 overs.
The KKR bowling attack, which has shown moments of brilliance this season, struggled to contain the SRH onslaught. Their premier paceman, Anrich Nortje (0/60 in 4 overs), endured a tough outing, while the usually reliable Sunil Narine (2/42 in 4 overs) also found it difficult to stem the flow of runs on a batting-friendly surface. Young pacer Harshit Rana (0/40 in 3 overs) showed glimpses of promise but was largely inconsistent.
Chasing a daunting 279 for victory, KKR's innings never truly gained momentum. The pressure of the massive target was evident from the outset.
SRH's revamped spin attack, featuring the impressive young leg-arm orthodox Harsh Dubey and the crafty Eshan Malinga, choked the KKR middle order. The pace battery, led by Pat Cummins, also maintained relentless pressure. KKR were eventually bundled out for 168 in 18.4 overs.
Both teams ended their campaign with this match. SRH finished in sixth place in the points table with 13 points, whereas KKR finished in eighth place with 12 points.
