Sun rises in Chepauk as Hyderabad grit it out to seal a playoff berth
Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad (197/5 in 19.2 ovs) beat Chennai Super Kings (193/8 in 20 ovs) by 5 wickets at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
CSK vs SRH: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
As Chennai braced itself for what could have been the sunset of MS Dhoni’s legendary journey at Chepauk, Sunrisers Hyderabad ensured the night marked the rise of their own playoff ambitions. Riding on commanding performances from their captain and vice-captain, SRH battled their way to a five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings and sealed a spot in the IPL 2026 playoffs alongside Gujarat Titans.
The match had been billed as the possible final dance of 44-year-old “Thala” Dhoni at Chepauk in CSK’s last home game of the season. While Chennai still have one league game remaining with a playoff spot hanging in the balance, the emotional focus remained firmly on the former captain. Dhoni, however, did not feature due to persistent fitness concerns.
SRH, meanwhile, arrived at Chepauk with clear intent. On a sluggish surface offering grip and assistance to bowlers, the visitors adapted far better than the hosts and paced their chase intelligently to get over the line with eight balls to spare.
CSK HUFF AND PUFF AT CHEPAUK
Chennai Super Kings struggled their way to a competitive total in the first innings after captain Ruturaj Gaikwad opted to bat first on a slow surface where strokeplay was never easy.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, CSK stitched together enough partnerships to post a fighting total in a must-win clash. Sanju Samson provided early momentum with a quickfire 27 off 13 deliveries before falling to Pat Cummins.
Urvil Patel briefly lit up Chepauk with his aggressive batting, smashing a couple of sixes including a Dhoni-esque helicopter shot. However, he struggled against the slower deliveries and was eventually dismissed by Sakib Hussain.
Gaikwad endured a scratchy stay at the crease, managing just 15 off 21 balls before becoming Cummins’ second wicket. Dewald Brevis then anchored the latter half of the innings with a crucial 44 off 27 balls, while his 59-run partnership with Shivam Dube helped CSK recover after a stuttering middle phase.
Cummins starred with the ball for SRH, finishing with three wickets while expertly using slower deliveries on the dry surface. Sakib Hussain and Shivang also impressed as SRH prevented CSK from fully accelerating in the death overs.
THE CHASE THAT SEALED PLAYOFF BERTH
The chase began with an early setback as Travis Head, playing as the impact substitute, miscued a shot off Mukesh Choudhary and handed a simple return catch to the bowler.
However, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan steadied the innings with a measured partnership, carefully navigating the slow conditions during the powerplay. Abhishek never fully found fluency but contributed 26 off 21 balls before Akeal Hosein broke the stand in the seventh over.
As the pitch slowed further, Heinrich Klaasen shifted the momentum firmly in SRH’s favour. The South African wicketkeeper-batter attacked CSK’s spinners aggressively and combined brilliantly with Kishan in a decisive 75-run stand off just 41 deliveries.
Klaasen looked set for a match-winning half-century before a sharp Dhoni-esque stumping from Samson off Noor Ahmad’s bowling ended his knock on 47 off 26 balls. By then, though, SRH were firmly in control of the chase.
Kishan continued to anchor the innings superbly, bringing up a well-paced fifty off 37 balls and ensuring SRH never lost control of the equation. CSK attempted a late comeback when Mukesh Choudhary dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy in the 18th over, but consecutive boundaries from Kishan effectively sealed the contest.
Although Kishan eventually fell for a superb 70 off 47 deliveries, SRH comfortably completed the chase to register a five-wicket victory, with their batters showing impressive discipline and adaptability on a surface far removed from the high-scoring tracks they usually thrive on.
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