Ishan Kishan has been a puzzle this season for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). After starting the season with a brilliant century, his form took a nosedive, accumulating just 125 runs at a modest strike rate of 106.83 over the next ten innings. However, during the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Lucknow, he rediscovered his form, anchoring the innings with an impressive 94 not out from 48 balls. This guiding performance ensured that SRH posted a formidable 231.
This total marked the 42nd instance of a team breaching the 200-run mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, a record-breaking occurrence. The target of 232 was beyond what SRH had successfully chased in the past.
Other SRH players also added to RCB’s troubles. Abhishek Sharma launched the innings with 34 runs from 17 balls, followed by Travis Head, who contributed a steady 17 off 10. Heinrich Klaasen added 24 off 13 with ease, while Aniket Verma smashed his way to 26 in just 9 balls, hitting sixes off good deliveries.
RCB managed to quiet things down once these four were dismissed, with a brief period where only 30 runs were conceded between the 13th and 16th overs. Romario Shepherd, notable for his performance in RCB’s previous game turn-around, this time threatened with the ball. Introduced in the 15th over, he picked up the wickets of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Abhinav Manohar in a tidy spell, giving away just 14 runs over two overs.
Kishan’s innings was vital during this phase. From 145 for 4 in the 12th over after Aniket’s dismissal, he scored 54 of the remaining 86 runs, displaying restraint amidst his partners’ aggressive approach. He partnered effectively with Pat Cummins, the duo putting together an unbeaten 43 in the final three overs.
Reflecting on the innings, Kishan stated, “It was important to bat through and ensure we had a strong finish. It worked well for us today.”
