Sunrisers Hyderabad's Eshan Malinga celebrates the wicket of Chennai Super Kings' Sarfaraz Khan. | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal

It’s a lot of pressure to have 30,000+ fans pinning their hopes on you to close out a tight game. More so after you’ve made an imperious first impression with a four-fer on debut. On Saturday, 24-year-old Praful Hinge held his nerve to hand Sunrisers Hyderabad a nervy 10-run win against Chennai Super Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

A blistering half-century from Abhishek Sharma and a composed knock from Heinrich Klaasen lifted SRH to 194 for nine, its highest total against the Super Kings.

Matt Short, who had spent extended time honing specific lines in Friday’s training, successfully stifled SRH’s left-handed opening pair. That restraint, however, was short-lived. Abhishek shifted from second to fifth gear, regardless of pace or spin dealt to him.

For a moment, the Travishek show seemed unstoppable. Cricket, though, rarely follows a script.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s diving catch at mid-off sent Travis Head back, and Ishan Kishan was scooped up for a duck. When a successful Sanju Samson review for a faint edge ended Abhishek’s vigil and a promoted Aniket Verma couldn’t capitalise, CSK has truly clawed its way back.

While Klaasen kept chipping away, Anshul Kamboj presided over a masterful effort at the death to leave SRH well short of the statement finish it promised to deliver.

While the chase burst into life straight away, Samson’s early positivity was nipped in the bud by Nitish Kumar Reddy in the second over. Any relief was fleeting as Ayush Mhatre came out swinging. A fierce swivel-pull disappeared into the stands, and four more boundaries helped plunder 24 runs off the Vidarbha pacer.

ALSO READ | Struggling Kolkata Knight Riders looks for foothold against high-flying Rajasthan Royals

Mhatre’s momentum, however, was undone by his own hamstring as he holed out soon after to Klaasen at extra cover. Thereafter, partnerships were hard to come by for the Super Kings.

Eshan Malinga scalped Gaikwad and Sarfaraz Khan, who had lit up this venue with an effortless Ranji double ton just a few months ago. He couldn’t recreate that magic.

After Shivang Kumar removed the dangerous Dewald Brevis, Kamboj and Jamie Overton managed to bring the equation down to 18 needed off the last six balls, but the target ultimately proved a bridge too far.

Published on Apr 18, 2026