KKR vs SRH Highlights, IPL 2026: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi seal dominant seven-wicket win over SRH

STRATEGIC BREAK! This has been a good fightback from the Kolkata Knight Riders after being put under the pump early on. Ajinkya Rahane has used just five bowling options so far, with no Anukul Roy yet. That has been largely down to the presence of left-handers at the crease. Sunrisers Hyderabad will be aiming to go past 200, and they still have Salil Arora to come, who provided the finishing touches the other night in Mumbai, and he can hit the ball a long way. Varun Chakaravarthy to bowl out now. 3-0-32-2 for Varun.

Cameron Green to Ishan Kishan, Oh! Back of a length, on off, and it keeps a tad low. Ishan Kishan looks to pull it but gets beaten on the bottom edge. The ball just misses the stumps and rolls towards the keeper. Dot.

Cameron Green to Ishan Kishan, Hard length, just outside off, Ishan Kishan stays back and pushes it to the point fielder.

Cameron Green to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! That's a poor delivery! Cameron Green errs his line down leg, Ishan Kishan uses the pace of the ball and helps it through fine leg for a boundary.

Cameron Green to Ishan Kishan, Wide! Bangs it short, pace off, outside off, Ishan Kishan gets his hands high for the pull but misses. Wide called for height.

Cameron Green to Ishan Kishan, Slightly shorter, on leg, Ishan Kishan looks to pull it but doesn't connect. The ball lobs to the right of the keeper off the thigh. Dot.

Cameron Green to Aniket Verma, Keeps it on a length again, on leg, Aniket Verma whips it through backward square leg for a run.

Cameron Green to Aniket Verma, Cameron Green bowls a length ball, on off, Aniket Verma covers the line and blocks it off.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Aniket Verma, Full and around off, Aniket Verma punches this through cover for one run. 

Varun Chakaravarthy to Ishan Kishan, Nice and full, on off, Ishan Kishan pushes it to cover for a quick single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Aniket Verma, BYE! Googly, around off, Aniket Verma looks to defend but plays down the wrong line and is beaten on the inside edge. The bounce takes it over the sticks, and the keeper fails to gather the ball. A bye is taken as the ball rolls to square leg off the keeper's pads.

From 105/1, SRH have slipped to 122/4. A good phase in the game for KKR. Aniket Verma walks in next.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Ravichandran Smaran, OUT! CAUGHT! Not a fruitful debut with the bat for Smaran as he walks back after scoring just 4. Tossed up, around off, Ravichandran Smaran shimmies down the track and looks to take on the boundary rider at long on. Gets the ball miscued from the cue end of his bat towards mid off. Ajinkya Rahane runs over his left shoulder from cover and puts in a dive at the end to snaffle it.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Ravichandran Smaran, Quicker one, around off, Ravichandran Smaran looks to works this around mid-wicket but gets it edged off the outside towards short cover's left.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Ishan Kishan, Fuller around middle and off, Ishan Kishan drills this powerfully straight back to the bowler. Varun gets his shoe in the way, and the ball just bounces a bit before and hits Varun around his foot. A single is taken as the ball rolls to mid-wicket. 

Cameron Green to Ravichandran Smaran, FOUR! Number 1392 of this season and the first ever in IPL history from the bat of Ravichandran Smaran. Short and around middle and leg, Ravichandran Smaran gets inside the line and hooks this through the backward square leg region for a boundary. 

Cameron Green to Ravichandran Smaran, Full and around off, Ravichandran Smaran drives this to short cover for no run.

Add that to the list of contenders for the catch of the season. Ravichandran Smaran walks out to bat on his IPL debut.

Cameron Green to Heinrich Klaasen, OUT! CAUGHT! A stunner by Rovman Powell to send Heinrich Klaasen back in the dugout. Short and wide off, Heinrich Klaasen drags this with a pull towards the gap between deep square leg and deep mid-wicket. Rovman Powell runs to his right and runs in a bit too much to start with, but does extremely well to outstretch his right hand and grab a one-handed stunner. The third umpire is called into action to check the fairness of the catch. The replay shows that despite the fall, the ball never came in contact with the turf, and Rovman was in control of the catch.

Cameron Green to Heinrich Klaasen, FOUR! Up and over! On a good length, angled in, on middle. Klaasen brings his bat out in front and chips it over the man at mid-wicket. There is no protection in the deep and the deep square leg fielder can't cut it off.

Cameron Green to Heinrich Klaasen, SIX! KKR fans will consider this as a dropped chance and of all the players, it was Rinku Singh underneath it. Back of a length around off, Heinrich Klaasen looks to slog this out of the park, but connects this from the bottom part of his bat. Rinku Singh stays side-on at long on to take the catch to his right. He extends his hands out in front and tries to get rid of the ball immediately before going over the ropes. He can't grab hold of the ball in the first place as it clips his fingertips and drops beyond the boundary cushions.

Cameron Green to Heinrich Klaasen, Good length, around off, Heinrich Klaasen taps this to mid off for no run.

Time for pace as Cameron Green comes on, replacing Varun Chakaravarthy. Green conceded 14 runs in his only over so far.

Sunil Narine to Heinrich Klaasen, Tossed up, around middle and off, Heinrich Klaasen flicks this to the right of the bowler for a single down to long on. What an over from Sunil Narine as he gives away just 2 runs off it. 

Sunil Narine to Heinrich Klaasen, Short and on off, Heinrich Klaasen punches this off his back foot towards short extra cover. 

Sunil Narine to Heinrich Klaasen, Narine drags his length back a shade and bowls this around off, Heinrich Klaasen pushes out in front but gets an inside edge onto the pads.

Sunil Narine to Heinrich Klaasen, Pushed through on off, Heinrich Klaasen rocks deep inside the crease and pushes this back to the bowler. 

Sunil Narine to Ishan Kishan, Quicker one, around off, Ishan Kishan pulls this flat towards the deep mid-wicket region for one run. 

Sunil Narine to Ishan Kishan, Fuller and flatter on off, Ishan Kishan blocks this back to the bowler. 

End of a top knock from Travis Head. Heinrich Klaasen comes in at number 4 for SRH. Sunil Narine is back for his 3rd over. He went for 20 runs in his first two overs.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Travis Head, OUT! CAUGHT! Varun provides the much-needed breakthrough. Quicker one, short and into the batter, cramping Head to free his arms. Travis Head goes for a pull but mishits this off the upper half of the blade. Ends up hitting this straight into the hands of Cameron Green at the deep mid-wicket fence. Green takes it reverse cup around his shoulder and sends Head back. Head gets a pat on the back from Varun. Good to see.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Travis Head, SIX! 100 comes up for SRH in the 9th over. Fuller around off, Travis Head reaches it, gets right underneath it and hammers this for a biggie over the wide long off region. 

Varun Chakaravarthy to Travis Head, Floated on middle and off, Travis Head backs away to his leg side and pushes this back to the bowler. 

Varun Chakaravarthy to Travis Head, WIDE! Quicker one, wide outside off, Travis Head leaves it. Wided.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Ishan Kishan, Tossed up, wide of off, Ishan Kishan pushes this down to long off for a single. 

Varun Chakaravarthy to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries. Short of a length, around middle and off, Ishan Kishan swivels and pulls this through the mid-wicket region for yet another boundary. The 50-run stand comes up.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Ishan Kishan, FOUR! The fielders are nowhere to be found at the moment. Tossed up, on middle and off, Ishan Kishan muscles this down the ground for a boundary in front of the sight screen. 

Vaibhav Arora to Travis Head, Back of a length, on off, Travis Head looks to pull it but miscues it off the toe end to the fielder at short third. Dot. Just 5 runs off the over. First over in this innings without a boundary.

Vaibhav Arora to Ishan Kishan, Hard length, on middle and leg, Ishan Kishan tucks it to mid-wicket for a single.

Vaibhav Arora to Travis Head, Back of a length, on off, Travis Head stays back and flat bats it to long off for a single.

Vaibhav Arora to Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Arora goes full this time, on off, Ishan Kishan gets low and steers it through cover for just a single.

Vaibhav Arora to Travis Head, Back of a length, on middle, Travis Head hops a bit and tugs it to square leg for one more.

Vaibhav Arora to Ishan Kishan, Short, on middle, Ishan Kishan hangs back and knocks it to mid on for a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Travis Head, SIX! Clean as a whistle! Travis Head gets to his FIFTY in style. Floated up, full and on leg. Head clears the front leg and swings through the line of the ball. Tonks it way over long on for a biggie. A quality knock so far from Travis, and he will be keen to make it big.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Ishan Kishan, Flatter, on middle, Ishan Kishan pushes it to cover for a quick single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Travis Head, Short, on off, Travis Head punches it to cover for a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Travis Head, MISFIELD AND FOUR! That should have been stopped! Full, on middle, Travis Head gets down on one knee and slogs it wide of deep square leg. Anukul Roy moves to his right near the fence but fails to judge the bounce as the ball parries through his hands and goes to the fence for a boundary.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Ishan Kishan, Short, on middle and leg, Ishan Kishan hangs back and pulls it to mid-wicket for a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Ishan Kishan, Varun Chakaravarthy starts with a fuller one, on leg, Ishan Kishan blocks it to the left of the bowler.

STRATEGIC BREAK! It has been another dominant outing with the bat to start with for SRH as the top three have combined well to post 71 for 1 after the first 6 overs. Travis Head has been the main run-getter in this contest as he continues to look dangerous with an unbeaten 42 off just 19 balls. Abhishek Sharma had an off day as he was dismissed for not much. Another positive for SRH is that Ishan Kishan has also looked in good touch up to this point. Kolkata Knight Riders will be needing not just one but a few wickets in a cluster to stem the flow of runs, and they will be counting on Varun in particular to make that happen. Varun Chakaravarthy has been brought into the attack.