IPL 2026: SRH bowlers hold their nerve, choke CSK in final overs to seal 10-run thriller

Sunrisers Hyderabad survived a tense finish to beat Chennai Super Kings by 10 runs in a high-pressure IPL clash, thanks to a brilliant combined effort from Eshan Malinga and Shivang Kumar in the death overs.

Chasing 195, CSK were restricted to 184 for 8, with Malinga leading the attack with 3 for 29 and Shivang Kumar supporting him with 1 for 18 in 3 overs. Their control in the post-Powerplay phase proved decisive as they choked CSK’s chase at crucial moments.

Even though CSK needed only 84 from the last 10 overs, SRH’s bowlers kept striking regularly. Malinga mixed yorkers, hard lengths and short balls smartly, while Shivang extracted useful turn and bounce to keep the batters under pressure.

CSK’s chase had moments of promise but never fully took off. Sanju Samson began explosively with a first-ball six, but Nitish Reddy removed him quickly with a sharp spell of hard lengths. Ayush Mhatre (30 off 13) kept the momentum going early, but a hamstring injury slowed him down before a sharp catch by Heinrich Klaasen ended his stay.

Ruturaj Gaikwad (19 off 12) also fell after mistiming a heavy delivery from Malinga. At 66 for 3, CSK tried to rebuild through Sarfaraz Khan (25 off 19) and Matthew Short (34 off 30), adding 46 runs, but the required rate kept climbing.

Dewald Brevis fell for a duck trying to attack Shivang Kumar, and despite a 35-run stand between Short and Shivam Dube (21 off 16), the scoring rate never truly recovered.

Malinga, Sakib Hussain (1/32) and Shivang ensured CSK’s power-hitters were kept quiet through the middle and death overs. Praful Hinge also held his nerve at the end, conceding just seven runs in the final over despite earlier struggles.

Earlier, SRH posted 194 for 9 after a collapse despite Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 59 off 22 balls. CSK’s decision to bowl first initially looked costly as Abhishek tore into the attack with a 15-ball fifty, but Mukesh Choudhary struck back with key wickets of Travis Head (23) and Ishan Kishan (0) to turn the game.

From 75 without loss, SRH slipped to 75 for 2 and later 112 for 4, losing momentum despite Klaasen’s steady 59. He was the only batter to resist consistently, while the rest struggled to accelerate.

CSK’s bowling attack was led by Overton (3/37) and Anshul Kamboj (3/22), who were outstanding in the middle and death overs. Noor Ahmad also kept things tight, while Gurjapneet Singh’s disciplined spell added pressure.

In the end, SRH’s disciplined bowling effort made the difference as they held CSK down in the final overs to seal a hard-fought 10-run victory.