Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) got off to a flying start against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, with Abhishek Sharma setting the tone early. The left-hander took on Varun Chakravarthy in the fifth over, launching him for a massive six and piling on the pressure. The over went for 25 runs, further exposing the struggles of KKR’s lead spinner, who has been searching for rhythm in recent outings.
Opening alongside Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma looked in complete control as the duo attacked from the outset. Their aggressive approach put KKR on the back foot, especially in front of a packed Eden Gardens crowd expecting a strong response after the team’s opening loss. Instead, the bowlers in purple found themselves under sustained pressure in the powerplay.
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Earlier, Blessing Muzarabani had also been expensive with the new ball, conceding 16 runs in his opening over. The lack of control from KKR’s pace and spin attack allowed SRH to dominate proceedings and build early momentum.
ABHI-STORM has hit Kolkata! 🌪️🔥
Abhishek Sharma takes Varun Chakaravarthy for 25 runs in the 5th over! 💥#TATAIPL 2026 | #KKRvSRH | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/ySCLEcJOUA pic.twitter.com/PtELa8BxSu
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 2, 2026
Both sides came into the contest eager to bounce back after defeats in their respective opening matches. However, it was Hyderabad who seized the initiative, with their openers dictating terms and forcing KKR to rethink their bowling plans early in the innings.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w/c), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, David Payne
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani
