Kolkata, April 2: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) became the first team to lose a match while chasing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) registered their first and a strong win in a high-scoring clash at Eden Gardens on Thursday. Chasing a huge target of 226, KKR managed 161 in 16 overs. SRH won the game by 65 runs as their bowlers dominated the game.
Early Setbacks Hurt KKR
KKR had a poor start as captain Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed early. Finn Allen played a quick cameo, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals, putting pressure on the middle order.
Raghuvanshi Fights Back
Angkrish Raghuvanshi was the standout performer for KKR, scoring a fighting 52 off 29 balls. He tried to keep the chase alive with aggressive batting, but lacked support from the other end.
Rinku Singh also contributed with 35 runs, but it was not enough in the chase of a big total.
SRH Bowlers Stay in Control
SRH bowlers kept picking up wickets at key moments and did not allow any big partnership to develop. Their disciplined bowling ensured KKR never got close to the target.
SRH Dominate High-Scoring Game
Earlier in the match, SRH posted a massive 226/8, the highest total of IPL 2026 so far, thanks to strong performances from Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head.
With this win, SRH not only secured two important points but also handed KKR their first defeat while chasing in this season.
