Sunrisers Hyderabad hammered Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs in IPL 2026 Match 6 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on April 2, 2026. SRH posted a massive 226/8 and then bowled KKR out for just 161 in 16 overs.
Nitish Kumar Reddy was the star of the show with an all-round effort of 39 off 24 balls and 2/17 in 2 overs. Heinrich Klaasen top-scored with a brilliant 52 off 35, while Jaydev Unadkat (3/21) and Eshan Malinga (2/14) wrecked KKR’s middle and lower order. SRH bounce back after their opening-night loss to RCB.
Match Summary: KKR vs SRH, IPL 2026 Match 6
| Aspect | Info |
|---|---|
| SRH Score | 226/8 (20 overs) |
| KKR Score | 161 all out (16 overs) |
| Result | SRH won by 65 runs |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Date | April 2, 2026 (Night Match) |
| Best Batter (SRH) | Heinrich Klaasen – 52 off 35 balls |
| Best Batter (KKR) | Angkrish Raghuvanshi – 52 off 29 balls |
| Best Bowler (SRH) | Jaydev Unadkat – 3/21 in 3 overs |
| Best Bowler (KKR) | Blessing Muzarabani – 4/41 in 4 overs |
| Player of the Match | Nitish Kumar Reddy (SRH) – 39(24) & 2/17 |
SRH Innings: 226/8 in 20 Overs
Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma gave SRH a flying start. The opening pair raced to 82 in just 5.4 overs, with their 50-run stand coming up in only 25 balls.
Head smashed 46 off 21 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes) at a strike rate of 219.04 before Kartik Tyagi got him caught by Cameron Green. Abhishek was equally destructive, hitting 48 off 21 (4 fours, 4 sixes) at 228.57.
SRH’s powerplay total of 84/1 in 6 overs set the tone. They reached 100 in just 7.2 overs (44 balls) and were already at 98/1 by the first strategic timeout.
After both openers fell in quick succession (Kishan 14, Abhishek caught off Muzarabani), Aniket Verma failed too, departing for 1. SRH wobbled briefly at 118/4 in 9.2 overs.
Heinrich Klaasen steadied the ship with a composed 52 off 35 (4 fours, 1 six). He brought up his fifty off 34 balls and anchored the innings through the middle overs.
Nitish Kumar Reddy provided the finishing firepower. He smashed 39 off 24 (4 fours, 1 six) in a crucial fifth-wicket partnership with Klaasen that added 82 runs. Their stand crossed 50 in 34 balls and took SRH past 200 in 17.6 overs (108 balls).
The last two overs saw a late flurry of wickets. Blessing Muzarabani finished with outstanding figures of 4/41, but SRH’s total of 226/8 was always going to be a mountain for KKR to climb.
SRH Top Performers with the Bat
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s/6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heinrich Klaasen | 52 | 35 | 4 / 1 | 148.57 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 48 | 21 | 4 / 4 | 228.57 |
| Travis Head | 46 | 21 | 6 / 3 | 219.04 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 39 | 24 | 4 / 1 | 162.50 |
KKR Bowling: Best Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blessing Muzarabani | 4 | 41 | 4 | 10.25 |
| Vaibhav Arora | 4 | 47 | 2 | 11.75 |
| Anukul Roy | 2 | 16 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Kartik Tyagi | 4 | 48 | 1 | 12.00 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-82 (Head, 5.4), 2-111 (Kishan, 8.2), 3-112 (Abhishek, 8.4), 4-118 (Aniket Verma, 9.2), 5-200 (Nitish Kumar Reddy, 18.1), 6-200 (Salil Arora, 18.2), 7-222 (Klaasen, 19.4), 8-226 (Shivang Kumar, 19.6)
KKR Chase: 161 All Out in 16 Overs
Finn Allen, the impact sub who replaced Muzarabani, came out swinging. He blasted 28 off just 7 balls (4 fours, 2 sixes) at a strike rate of 400.00. KKR hit 50 in 3.2 overs (20 balls) and it briefly looked like the game was on.
But Harsh Dubey removed Allen at 30/1 in the 2nd over, and the required rate kept climbing. Captain Ajinkya Rahane struggled to 8 off 10 before Jaydev Unadkat had him caught by Malinga. Cameron Green was run out for 2 in the very next over. KKR were 74/3 after the powerplay.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi fought hard. He smashed 52 off 29 (6 fours, 2 sixes), reaching his fifty in 27 balls. But once he fell at 120/4 in the 11th over, the floodgates opened.
Anukul Roy was caught and bowled by Nitish Kumar Reddy for a duck two balls later. Rinku Singh battled to 35 off 25 (4 fours, 1 six), but NKR got him too, caught by Unadkat at 139/6.
Jaydev Unadkat was devastating. He took 3/21 in 3 overs, removing Rahane, Kartik Tyagi, and Varun Chakravarthy. Eshan Malinga picked up 2/14 in 2 overs, dismissing Ramandeep Singh (10) and Sunil Narine (12 off 4).
KKR’s last 6 wickets fell for just 41 runs in 5 overs. They were bowled out for 161 in the 16th over, finishing 65 runs short of the target.
KKR Top Performers with the Bat
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s/6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi † | 52 | 29 | 6 / 2 | 179.31 |
| Rinku Singh | 35 | 25 | 4 / 1 | 140.00 |
| Finn Allen | 28 | 7 | 4 / 2 | 400.00 |
SRH Bowling: Best Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaydev Unadkat | 3 | 21 | 3 | 7.00 |
| Eshan Malinga | 2 | 14 | 2 | 7.00 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 2 | 17 | 2 | 8.50 |
| Harsh Dubey | 2 | 17 | 1 | 8.50 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-30 (Allen, 1.3), 2-67 (Rahane, 4.6), 3-74 (Green, 5.6), 4-120 (Raghuvanshi, 10.6), 5-120 (Anukul Roy, 11.2), 6-139 (Rinku, 13.4), 7-154 (Narine, 14.3), 8-159 (Ramandeep, 14.6), 9-161 (Kartik Tyagi, 15.5), 10-161 (Varun, 15.6)
Key Highlights: KKR vs SRH IPL 2026 Match 6
- Nitish Kumar Reddy’s all-round masterclass: 39 off 24 with the bat, then 2/17 in 2 overs with the ball. Named POTM and Cricinfo MVP (60.11 points). His wickets of Anukul Roy and the pressure he created through the middle overs were crucial.
- SRH’s openers were brutal: Head (46 off 21) and Abhishek (48 off 21) put on 82 in 5.4 overs. Both struck at over 219. The powerplay total of 84/1 gave SRH a platform no KKR attack could contain.
- Klaasen was the anchor SRH needed: After the middle-overs wobble (118/4), Klaasen’s 52 off 35 steadied the ship. His 82-run fifth-wicket stand with NKR took SRH from trouble to dominance.
- Muzarabani’s 4/41 deserved better: Blessing Muzarabani was KKR’s standout bowler with 4 wickets, but the rest of the attack leaked runs. Varun Chakravarthy went for 31 in 2 overs (economy 15.50), and Narine’s 4 overs cost 39.
- Allen’s cameo was electric but brief: 28 off 7 balls (SR: 400.00) made it look like KKR might chase this down. But once he fell at 30/1, the required rate ballooned and no other batter could sustain the tempo.
- Raghuvanshi continues to impress: After his 51 against MI in Match 2, Raghuvanshi hit another fifty here (52 off 29). He is the emerging as KKR’s most reliable middle-order batter.
- KKR collapsed from 120/4 to 161 all out: The last 6 wickets fell for just 41 runs in 5 overs. Unadkat (3/21) did the bulk of the damage, while Malinga (2/14) and NKR (2/17) shared the rest.
- Impact subs: SRH replaced Head with Eshan Malinga at 19.6 overs of their innings. Malinga then took 2/14. KKR swapped Muzarabani for Finn Allen at the same point. Allen smashed 28 off 7 but it wasn’t enough.
Verdict: SRH Registered their 1st IPL Win in IPL 2026 by Beating KKR at their Home Ground
SRH’s batting firepower was simply too much for KKR. Four batters scored 39 or more, the powerplay yielded 84 runs, and 226 was always going to be out of KKR’s reach at Eden Gardens. Raghuvanshi fought hard, but KKR’s bowling lacked variety and their lower order offered no resistance. Back-to-back home defeats for Rahane’s side, and the pressure is building early.
