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On May 18, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batters shed the allout attack approach in the run chase of 181 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). After getting bundled out for 86 by Gujarat Titans (GT), the vice-captain Ishan Kishan took the mantle to bat deep. At one point, he was batting at a strike rate of just over 200 but he put a prize on his wicket. The driving force behind his knock was his bereaved cousin and his family supporting him from the stands among a sea of yellow in Chepauk. Kishan had lost his cousin sister during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Over a month later, his cousin’s family turned up for SRH’s must-win game against CSK and the wicketkeeper-batter responded with a match-winning 70 as he was ‘feeling blessed from upstairs’.
"I would just say one thing. Sometimes I feel it's also about motivation, and for me, my motivation was today, my cousin is just standing there. He lost his sister. It was a tough time in our family and they are watching the match for the first time here. So I just wanted to finish the game for them," Kishan said at the post-match presentation as he was named ‘Player of the match’.
"I'm glad they were here to witness this innings, and I was able to finish this game. I was just feeling blessed from upstairs. I had that sense of power, like, yes, I can do it if I'm there for the team. We will qualify, especially. He'll be happy about it."
Kishan said that he realised it is going to be a tough wicket to bat on when he was keeping wickets. He had decided to bat through the tough phase and play his shots.
"When I was keeping, I felt the wicket was not easy -- especially when the spinners were bowling, and the slower balls working really well. I had to just play till the last over. It was just about being there and believing in yourself. You cannot doubt yourself at any time. Being in the middle, it's difficult for the bowlers to get it right every time,” he said.
Kishan’s IPL 2026 numbers
This was Kishan's fifth half-century of the season. While Heinrich Klaasen is in possession of the orange cap after a 26-ball 47, Kishan is not too far behind. From 13 innings, Kishan has scored 490 runs at an average of 37.69 and strike rate of 179.48. Currently, he is seventh in the race for orange cap.
Meanwhile, SRH have qualified for the playoffs with a five-wicket win over SRH. Their last league stage game is against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at home on May 22. The Pat Cummins-led side will look to finish in top two with a win over current table-toppers.
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