Sunrisers Hyderabad finished their IPL season with a power-packed batting display, beating the Kolkata Knight Riders by 110 runs on Sunday. Heinrich Klaasen's 37-ball century at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, along with Travis Head's half-century, helped SRH to put up 278 runs on the board before bowlers wrapped the KKR innings for a 168.
Klaasen (105 not out off 39 balls) and Head (76 off 40 balls) cruised through the KKR bowling lineup after Abhishek Sharma's quickfire 32. A seasoned Jaydev Unadkat (3/24 in 4 overs) picked key wickets with his clever change of pace.
Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey (3/34 in 4 overs) and Sri Lankan pacer Eshan Malinga (3/31 in 3.4 overs) also had a good outing. Hyderabad finished the season with six wins and one washed-out game.
Klaasen muscled the KKR bowlers, mainly in the straighter arc and the likes of Anrich Nortje (0/60 in 4 overs), Harshit Rana (0/40 in 3 overs), Varun Chakravarthy (0/54 in 3 overs) and Sunil Narine (2/42 in 4 overs) were punished on one of the flattest decks on offer.
On a ground where SRH had set the new batting record in 2024, scoring 125 in Powerplay against Delhi Capitals, Head and his partner in crime Abhishek added 79 in the first six overs to set the tone. The Kotla track was one where any batter could just plonk his front foot and hit through the line or rock back to pull it over mid-wicket.
{{/usCountry}}On a ground where SRH had set the new batting record in 2024, scoring 125 in Powerplay against Delhi Capitals, Head and his partner in crime Abhishek added 79 in the first six overs to set the tone. The Kotla track was one where any batter could just plonk his front foot and hit through the line or rock back to pull it over mid-wicket.
{{/usCountry}}For Kolkata, Quinton De Kock and Sunil Narine put up a 37-run partnership in 3.3 overs. But except for a couple of 30s from Manish Pandey and Harshit Rana, no other batter crossed the 20-run mark.
Here's a brief timeline of KKR vs SRH
Toss & Start:
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) won the toss and opted to bat at Feroz Shah Kotla.
Powerplay Onslaught:
1st–6th over: SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma went berserk.
Added 79 runs in Powerplay.
Abhishek Sharma scored 32 off 16 before falling.
Head kept the charge going with calculated aggression.
Middle Overs – Klaasen Carnage Begins:
7th–12th over:
Heinrich Klaasen walked in and unleashed fury.
Reached 50 off just 18 balls.
Head scored 76 off 40 before getting dismissed.
Death Overs – Mayhem Continues:
13th–20th over:
Klaasen reached his century in 37 balls.
Ended unbeaten on 105 off 39 balls (7 fours, 9 sixes).
SRH posted 278/3 in 20 overs – one of the highest IPL totals.
KKR’s Run Chase:
1st–6th over: Jaydev Unadkat struck early blows with clever pace changes.
Took 2 wickets for 23 runs in 3 overs.
7th–12th over: KKR tried rebuilding but couldn’t keep up with the required rate.
13th–18.4 overs:
Harsh Dubey took 3/34 in 4 overs.
Eshan Malinga closed the innings with 3/31 in 3.4 overs.
KKR bundled out for 168 in 18.4 overs.
Result:
SRH won by 110 runs, ending their IPL 2024 campaign with a bang.