Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs in Match 6 of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on April 2. SRH became the first team in IPL 2026 to win while defending a total. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma’s 82-run powerplay partnership, combined with Heinrich Klaasen’s measured 52 off 35, powered SRH to 226/8. KKR’s chase fell apart in the middle overs despite a fighting 52 from impact substitute Angkrish Raghuvanshi, as they were bowled out for 161 in just 16 overs.
Jaydev Unadkat was SRH’s wrecker-in-chief with 3/21 in 3 overs, removing Ajinkya Rahane, Kartik Tyagi, and Varun Chakaravarthy. Impact substitute Eshan Malinga supported with 2/14 in 2 overs, dismissing Sunil Narine and Ramandeep Singh.
In the first innings, Blessing Muzarabani was KKR’s standout with 4/41 in 4 overs, accounting for Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Klaasen, and Shivang Kumar.
Match Summary: KKR vs SRH, IPL 2026 Match 6
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| SRH Score | 226/8 (20 overs) |
| KKR Score | 161 all out (16 overs) |
| Match Result | SRH won by 65 runs |
| Best Batting (SRH) | Heinrich Klaasen – 52 off 35 balls |
| Best Bowling (SRH) | Jaydev Unadkat – 3/21 in 3 overs |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
SRH Innings: 226/8 in 20 Overs
KKR won the toss and elected to field first. SRH came out blazing. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma put on an 82-run opening stand in 5.4 overs, the highest opening partnership in IPL 2026 to that point. Head struck 6 fours and 3 sixes in his 46 off 21 balls (SR 219.04) before holing out to Cameron Green off Kartik Tyagi. Abhishek Sharma went one better, scoring 48 off 21 at SR 228.57, with 4 fours and 4 sixes, before Muzarabani had him caught by Varun Chakaravarthy.
The powerplay delivered 84 runs for SRH. Three wickets fell quickly in overs 8 and 9, Ishan Kishan (14 off 9) and Aniket Verma (1 off 4) both departed cheaply, leaving SRH at 118/4 after 9.2 overs.
Heinrich Klaasen steadied the innings. He and Nitish Kumar Reddy (39 off 24, SR 162.50) added 82 runs for the fifth wicket to push SRH past 200. Klaasen’s 52 off 35 was finally ended by Muzarabani in the 19th over. Harsh Dubey’s unbeaten 9 off 3, including two boundaries, helped lift the final total to 226/8. For KKR, Muzarabani was exceptional with 4/41 in 4 overs, while Vaibhav Arora (2/47) and Anukul Roy (1/16) chipped in.
SRH Innings At A Glance
| Details | SRH Innings |
|---|---|
| Total | 226/8 in 20 overs |
| Powerplay | 84 runs (0-6 overs) |
| Top Scorer | Heinrich Klaasen – 52 off 35 |
| Best Opening Stand | Head & Abhishek – 82 off 34 balls |
| Best Bowling | Blessing Muzarabani – 4/41 in 4 overs |
KKR Chase: 161 All Out in 16 Overs
KKR’s reply began with a bang. Impact substitute Finn Allen replacing Muzarabani smashed 28 off 7 balls (4 fours, 2 sixes, SR 400) before Harsh Dubey caught and bowled him in the 2nd over. The powerplay still yielded 74 runs but already cost KKR three wickets, Rahane (8 off 10) fell to Unadkat at 67/2, and Cameron Green was run out for 2 at 74/3 in the 6th over.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi held the chase together, scoring 52 off 29 (SR 179.31) with 6 fours and 2 sixes. A run-out by Eshan Malinga and Shivang Kumar at 120/4 in over 10.6 ended his innings at the worst possible moment. Rinku Singh gave KKR brief hope with 35 off 25, but Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed both him and Anukul Roy in two balls at 139/6.
The lower order fell quickly. Sunil Narine’s entertaining 12 off 4 (2 sixes, SR 300) was over in a flash. Eshan Malinga (2/14) and Unadkat (3/21) finished off the tail. KKR were bowled out for 161 in 16 overs, 65 runs short of the target.
KKR Chase At A Glance
| Details | KKR Chase |
|---|---|
| Target | 227 runs |
| Total | 161 all out in 16 overs |
| Powerplay | 74 runs, 3 wickets |
| Top Scorer | Angkrish Raghuvanshi – 52 off 29 |
| Best Bowling | Jaydev Unadkat – 3/21 in 3 overs |
Key Highlight: SRH’s Powerplay Blitz Sets the Match
The first 6 overs of SRH’s innings defined the contest. Head and Abhishek Sharma’s 82-run partnership was the difference-maker:
- Travis Head: 46 off 21 balls, SR 219.04, 6 fours, 3 sixes
- Abhishek Sharma: 48 off 21 balls, SR 228.57, 4 fours, 4 sixes
- Opening stand: 82 runs off 34 balls
- SRH powerplay total: 84 runs
- Muzarabani: 4/41 in 4 overs — best bowling figures in IPL 2026 so far
- KKR at their worst: 120/5 in 11.2 overs, needing 107 more from 52 balls
KKR’s bowling attack lacked a reliable fifth option. Without Muzarabani (used as impact sub for Allen), no remaining KKR bowler conceded under 9.75 runs per over. SRH, by contrast, used Unadkat and Malinga to devastating effect and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 2/17 in 2 overs dismissing Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy broke KKR’s last genuine partnership. SRH’s 65-run margin of victory leaves them firmly in contention for a top-4 finish.
