Summary of this article
Ishan Kishan played a captain's knock of 91 runs
He scalped 21 runs off one over of Tushar Deshpande
Kishan's knock boosted SRH's innings
In the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR) Match 21 of IPL 2026, Ishan Kishan silenced the critics with a captain’s knock, smashing a brilliant 91 off just 44 balls against the league-leading Rajasthan Royals.
Played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on April 13, Kishan’s innings was the backbone of the SRH batting effort, particularly after the early dismissal of Abhishek Sharma for a golden duck.
Kishan displayed a masterclass in controlled aggression, navigating a tricky powerplay before shifting into top gear. He reached his half-century in just 30 balls, punctuating the milestone in typical pocket dynamo fashion by launching Ravi Bishnoi over deep mid-wicket for a massive six.
This marked his 19th IPL fifty and served as a stabilizing force for a side that had struggled for consistency in the opening weeks of the tournament.
The SRH captain’s boundary-hitting was relentless throughout his stay at the crease. He finished his innings with 8 fours and 6 sixes, striking at a phenomenal rate of 206.82. One of the highlights of his knock was a hat-trick of boundaries against Jofra Archer, where he used the bowler's pace to slice the ball over backward point and long-on.
He was particularly severe on Tushar Deshpande, plundering 21 runs in a single over to propel SRH past the 100-run mark in the 11th over.
Kishan was eventually dismissed in the 14th over, falling nine runs short of what would have been a well-deserved century. He miscued a pull shot off a Sandeep Sharma slower ball, leading to a juggling catch in a collision between the bowler and keeper Dhruv Jurel.
espite the miss, the Hyderabad crowd gave their captain a standing ovation for a knock that single-handedly put the Royals' bowling attack under the pump for the first time this season.
