Sunrisers Hyderabad kept their IPL 2025 playoffs hopes alive with a strong five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on Friday night. This result not only snapped SRH’s two-match losing streak but also pushed CSK further down the table as they suffered their second consecutive loss.
Chasing a modest target of 155, Sunrisers Hyderabad finished the chase at 155/5 in 18.4 overs. The winning partnership between Kamindu Mendis, who remained unbeaten on 32, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored 19*, sealed the match for the visitors. Mendis hit the final winning runs in what turned out to be a composed chase.
Following the win, Nitish Kumar Reddy voiced his belief in the team’s potential to make a late surge into the playoffs. He said, “We focused on playing the game one ball at a time and followed our plan. I’m proud of this win and hopeful for our future games. Kamindu and I decided to play sensibly, taking twos on the big boundaries rather than forcing big shots. It paid off well.”
Reddy also drew parallels with Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s playoff run in the previous season, stating, “Last year RCB managed to bounce back by winning seven games in a row. Why can’t we do the same this year? We’re putting in everything we have, and we’ll see where it takes us.”
The Chepauk pitch played similarly across both innings, and Reddy acknowledged the efforts of Noor and Khaleel in controlling the match during key moments. With this win, SRH have moved to the eighth position on the points table with six points from nine matches, edging ahead of CSK, who are currently last with four points in nine games.
This defeat also marked CSK’s fourth consecutive loss at their home ground in Chepauk, matching their poor home records of 2008 and 2012. They had lost four matches each in those seasons as well. CSK will next face Punjab Kings at Chepauk on Wednesday, while Sunrisers Hyderabad travel to Ahmedabad for a clash against Gujarat Titans on Friday.
