Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Harshal Patel played a pivotal role in silencing the Chepauk crowd on Friday night, as he dismissed MS Dhoni for the fourth time in T20s — a rare feat matched only by Pragyan Ojha and Zaheer Khan. The match, held at Chennai’s fortress MA Chidambaram Stadium, saw SRH outclass CSK with both ball and bat, and it was Harshal’s clever variations that made the biggest difference.
Patel, who was awarded the Player of the Match for his exceptional spell of 4/28, revealed that the key to Dhoni’s wicket was not execution, but a happy accident. “I was trying to bowl length to him. It wasn’t intended to be wide. Sometimes, a variation doesn’t go as planned, but it worked out,” Harshal said, reflecting on the moment Dhoni cut a short wide delivery straight to Abhishek Sharma at backward point.
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That crucial breakthrough sparked a mini-collapse. Patel had already removed the in-form Dewald Brevis and Sam Curran, and later added Noor Ahmad to his list of scalps, ensuring Chennai never gained momentum. Despite a fighting 42 from Brevis and a handy 22 from Deepak Hooda, CSK stumbled to just 154 — a total Hyderabad chased down with eight balls to spare.
Dealing in W’s and 0’s ☝👌
Harshal Patel did what he does best to lead #SRH‘s bowling charge 💪
Watch his superb spell ▶️ https://t.co/dvavX9gv45#TATAIPL | #CSKvSRH | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/YhmTXGmXKQ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 25, 2025
For SRH, it wasn’t just about Harshal. The bowling unit clicked collectively. Skipper Pat Cummins led by example with 2/21, while Shami’s first-ball dismissal of Shaik Rasheed set the tone. Kamindu Mendis chipped in with a tight spell, and Unadkat’s twin strikes in the middle overs put further pressure on the hosts.
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More than just two points, this win was historic for Hyderabad. It was their first-ever victory at Chepauk against Chennai in 12 years, breaking a streak of five straight defeats. Harshal summed up the team’s relief, saying, “We’ve been close in a few games, but finally all the pieces came together. It had to, if we wanted to stay alive in the tournament.”
SRH now move to eighth on the points table and will next face the Gujarat Titans on May 2 in what promises to be another crucial clash in their playoff push.
