Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) kept their playoff hopes alive with a thrilling 5-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a crucial IPL 2025 encounter. The match, played at CSK's home ground, the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai, saw Hyderabad secure the win with 8 balls to spare.
CSK vs SRH: The excitement of IPL 2025 is reaching its peak, with every match offering unexpected thrills. On April 25th, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 5 wickets, not only securing two crucial points but also creating history.
This was the first time Hyderabad had defeated Chennai on their home ground. The heroes of SRH's memorable victory were Kamindu Mendis and Ishan Kishan, who delivered exceptional performances with both bat and ball.
Chennai's Innings
After losing the toss and batting first, CSK had a slow start. SRH's bowlers maintained a tight line and length in the initial overs, restricting Chennai's batsmen. CSK lost wickets at regular intervals, managing only 154 runs in 19.5 overs. Dewald Brevis top-scored for Chennai with a quickfire 42.
However, his innings was cut short by a spectacular catch from SRH's Kamindu Mendis. Deepak Hooda contributed a late 22 off 21 balls to lend some respectability to the score. Harshal Patel was the pick of the SRH bowlers, taking 4 wickets. Pat Cummins and Jaydev Unadkat each claimed 2 wickets, while Mohammed Shami and Kamindu Mendis took 1 wicket each.
SRH's Reply: Composed Response After Early Setbacks
SRH's chase began poorly, with Abhishek Sharma dismissed without scoring on the second ball. Ishan Kishan and Travis Head then steadied the ship, adding a 37-run partnership for the second wicket. Head departed for 19, and soon Klaasen followed for 7. With the score at 54, half of SRH's team was back in the pavilion. From there, Ishan Kishan anchored the innings, scoring 44 runs off 34 balls to lay the foundation for the victory.
Kamindu Mendis: SRH's Match-Winner with Bat and Ball
The match truly turned when Kamindu Mendis came to the crease at number six. At that point, SRH needed 65 runs from 8 overs. Mendis not only played a brilliant innings but also displayed composure under pressure, scoring an unbeaten 32 off 22 balls. He and Nitish Reddy (unbeaten 19) added an unbroken 49-run partnership for the sixth wicket, guiding their team to a historic 5-wicket win in 18.4 overs.
Mendis' all-round performance – batting, fielding (a stunning catch), and bowling (1 wicket) – earned him the 'Man of the Match' award. For CSK, Noor Ahmad was the most successful bowler with 2 wickets. Ravindra Jadeja, Khalil Ahmed, and Anshul Kamboj took 1 wicket each, but no bowler could effectively stem the flow of SRH's batsmen.
With this victory, SRH registered their third win in their 9th match, taking their points tally to 6. CSK's position remains precarious, and they continue to languish in 10th place.
