The MA Chidambaram Stadium has historically favoured players from Jharkhand. On Monday, it was Ishan Kishan’s turn to steal the spotlight.
On a two-paced and slightly sluggish Chepauk surface, Ishan showed composure and class to carve out a superb 47-ball 70 that not only helped Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Chennai Super Kings by five wickets and seal a playoff spot, but also left CSK staring at elimination. And he wasn’t done there.
After all but confirming Chennai’s exit, Ishan mocked the Chepauk crowd with a whistle-themed send-off celebration.
His 70-run knock, featuring a match-defining 75-run partnership with Heinrich Klaasen for the third wicket, helped SRH chase down 181 with an over to spare. Although the India batter could not finish the game himself — falling just three balls before the winning boundary was struck — he made sure to leave his mark after the victory.
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Once the win was sealed, Ishan walked onto the field, stared at the Chepauk crowd and made a whistle-blowing gesture, followed by a sign indicating “home,” signalling that SRH had conquered CSK at their fortress. He then waved at the crowd before roaring, “Come on, SRH!”
Chasing 181 was never going to be straightforward on the slow Chepauk pitch, and SRH didn’t get off to the best of starts after losing Travis Head early. Abhishek Sharma too struggled for fluency, crawling to 26 off 21 balls as Hyderabad limped to 45/1 in the powerplay.
The momentum shifted once Klaasen joined Ishan in the middle. The duo expertly neutralised CSK spinners Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad with smart footwork and calculated strokeplay.
Ishan reached his fifty in 37 deliveries but soon lost Klaasen to a brilliant stumping by Sanju Samson off Noor Ahmad. However, the left-hander ensured SRH stayed firmly in control with some elegant strokeplay all around the ground.
He eventually fell to Anshul Kamboj, but by then Hyderabad needed only six runs to seal the win.
SRH now move to 16 points with a game still in hand — enough to confirm their qualification for the playoffs. The result also ensured that Gujarat Titans advanced to the knockouts alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who had already qualified with 18 points.
That leaves the remaining contenders fighting for the lone playoff berth still available.
As for CSK, who now have 12 points from 13 matches, their playoff hopes remain mathematically alive — but only just.