Out came a heartfelt note from Ishan Kishan, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batsman, following a tight five-wicket triumph against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on Monday, in cricket news. Hitting 70 runs in just 47 deliveries, he steadied the chase under pressure. The target of 181 fell short thanks to his calm control through the innings. That victory locked in their playoff spot without delay.

That inning meant a lot, more than most knew. Out there, waiting near the boundary, sat his cousin - still grieving after losing a sister not long ago, now seeing him bat live with relatives for the very first time. Finishing strong wasn’t just about runs on the board; it became something quieter, deeper, meant for those faces in the crowd. He held on, played through, stayed till the end because of them.

“I Felt Blessed From Upstairs”, says Ishan Kishan

“Sometimes I feel it’s also about motivation, and for me, my motivation was today. My cousin was standing there. He lost his sister recently, so it has been a tough time for our family,” Kishan said during the post-match presentation.

“They were watching the match for the first time here, and I just wanted to finish the game for them. I’m glad they were here to witness this innings and that I could help the team win. I just felt blessed from upstairs. I had this feeling that if I stayed there till the end, we would qualify,” he added.
Kishan said chasing wasn’t easy, given how the Chepauk pitch behaved.

Spinners found help there - slower balls skidded awkwardly, messing with a batter’s rhythm.
“When I was keeping, I realised the wicket wasn’t easy. The spinners were getting help, and the slower balls were gripping as well. I planned to stay till the end and keep believing in myself. Once you are set, it becomes difficult for the bowlers to execute every ball perfectly,” Kishan explained.

Beyond his own effort, he pointed to Heinrich Klaasen, how they built 75 together after the second fall of wicket. That stand changed how the game breathed, suddenly filling SRH’s sails. Momentum had tilted before anyone noticed.

“We were just backing our shots and trying to play positively,” he said.
Hard to score runs, said Pat Cummins, skipper of SRH, after seeing his team struggle on a tough pitch. A key stand between batters gave them some hope, though the conditions made timing nearly impossible.

“It was a pretty challenging wicket. The partnership between Kishan and Klaasen was outstanding. They picked their match-ups brilliantly and played some unbelievable shots,” Cummins said.

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“We felt while bowling that the pitch was staying low occasionally. It looked like a par score, and in the end, one or two partnerships made the difference. The real stuff starts now with the playoffs, but overall we’re really happy,” he added.

After reaching 555 runs across 13 games, Klaasen found himself back atop the run charts, though he called the pursuit anything but smooth. The target felt uneasy under pressure.

“The first few balls I faced, I blocked and realised I couldn’t bat like that. The pitch was kept low and was slightly two-paced. It’s never easy batting here,” Klaasen said.

Even so, CSK's skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad stood by his team’s effort after the loss, missing multiple mainstays as they played.

“It was a good game of cricket and we stayed in the contest till the second-last over. We probably missed out on capitalising during crucial phases,” Gaikwad said.
“Considering the limited squad we had and the injuries to key players, I’m proud of the effort from everyone. There were a lot of positives, and I believe we performed much better than last year,” he added.