IPL 2026: SRH storm into playoffs after crushing CSK by five wickets, GT too make it to top four

Ishan Kishan struck a fluent 70 after Pat Cummins displayed his mastery over length and pace with a three-wicket burst, as Sunrisers Hyderabad secured an IPL 2026 playoff berth with a smooth five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings on Monday. Chasing a target of 181 was never going to be easy on a slowish Chepauk track. However, Kishan anchored the chase brilliantly, hammering seven fours and three sixes in his 47-ball knock. He was well-supported by an equally enterprising Heinrich Klaasen, who smashed 47 off just 26 balls, with the duo adding a vital 75 runs for the third wicket to power Hyderabad to 181 for five in 19 overs.

SRH books IPL 2026 playoff berth with win over CSK

With this crucial victory, Sunrisers Hyderabad have moved up to 16 points with one league game still in hand. This tally is officially enough to guarantee them a spot in the playoffs, and the night’s result had an added bonus for Gujarat Titans, who also marched into the knockouts by virtue of sitting comfortably on 16 points. Meanwhile, table-toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru have already sealed their place in the postseason with 18 points, leaving the rest of the field to battle it out for the lone remaining playoff spot.

Despite the disappointing defeat on their home turf, the tournament is not completely over for the Chennai Super Kings. Currently sitting with 12 points from 13 matches, the defending champions find themselves in a precarious position but are still mathematically alive in the intense race for that final knockout berth.

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Ishan Kishan takes the game away from CSK

Talking about SRH's chase, they did not enjoy the most explosive of starts, losing the dangerous Travis Head early in the innings. His opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, also found it difficult to find his rhythm on the sluggish surface, laboring to a 21-ball 26. As a result, SRH struggled to generate their trademark momentum during the Powerplay, finishing the first six overs at a quiet 45 for the loss of one wicket.

The complexion of the match changed completely once Heinrich Klaasen joined Ishan Kishan out in the middle. Klaasen earned a massive reprieve when he was dropped on 18 by Spencer Johnson off the bowling of Noor Ahmad, and he made the Super Kings pay dearly for the lapse. Together, the duo brilliantly neutralized CSK’s spin twins—Akeal Hossain and Ahmad—using exemplary footwork and clinical shot-making to rapidly bring Hyderabad back into the contest.

Kishan reached his half-century off 37 deliveries and continued to anchor the innings, even after losing Klaasen to a sharp piece of stumping by Sanju Samson off Ahmad's bowling. The dynamic left-hander showcased his full range of strokes around the ground, converting his fifty into a match-winning score. Although he was unable to hit the winning runs after falling to Anshul Kamboj late in the game, Kishan had already done the heavy lifting, leaving the 2016 champions needing just six runs to cross the finish line.

The Super Kings initially got off to a flying start courtesy of Sanju Samson, who took a heavy toll on Nitish Kumar Reddy by smashing a six and two boundaries to extract 17 runs from the opening over. Samson maintained his aggressive approach in the following over, dishing out equally harsh treatment to Praful Hinge by cracking a hat-trick of fours. However, Cummins brought himself into the attack for the third over and immediately turned the tide, producing a high-pace delivery that induced a booming drive from Samson, which flew straight into the gloves of wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.

Following Samson's dismissal, Urvil Patel briefly showcased his power by launching Cummins for two successive sixes. His cameo was cut short, however, when Sakib Hussain deceived him with a well-disguised slower ball that completely beat his horizontal bat to rattle the stumps. Chennai captain Ruturaj Gaikwad then joined the impressive Kartik Sharma to steady the ship, with the duo constructing a vital 42-run partnership for the third wicket to keep the innings on track.

Kartik highlighted his fast-growing maturity with some exquisite strokeplay, including a beautiful inside-out boundary off Hinge and a powerful pulled six against left-arm wrist-spinner Shivang Kumar. Looking dangerous on 32 off just 19 balls, the youngster was eventually undone by the returning Cummins, who used a clever pace-off delivery outside off-stump to sap the power from Kartik's upper-cut, leaving Nitish to take a comfortable catch in the deep. Cummins struck again shortly after, using a sharp, chest-high bouncer to dismiss a struggling Gaikwad for a painstaking 15 off 21 balls after the skipper's mistimed pull failed to clear Eshan Malinga on the boundary.

With the innings stuttering, Chennai found much-needed momentum through Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube, who joined forces to stitch together a crucial 59-run stand for the fifth wicket. Brevis, who had struggled to find his rhythm throughout the tournament, looked in sublime touch as he creamed Cummins for a maximum and followed it up by hitting Nitish for another six and a four. The knock of 44 off 27 balls marked his highest score of the season.