Hyderabad, April 18 (IANS) Sri Lankan pacer Eshan Malinga picked three wickets as Sunrisers Hyderabad restricted five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to just 184/8 in 20 overs and won their third match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 by 10 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Earlier, opener Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen scored half-centuries as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) posted 194/9 in 20 overs despite a great comeback by CSK bowlers.

Chasing a challenging target, CSK made a brisk start, scoring 15 runs in the opening over. However, they suffered an early setback when Sanju Samson was dismissed for seven in the second over by Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Despite the early blow, Ayush Mhatre counterattacked aggressively, smashing 24 runs in the third over. He looked in fine touch but was forced off after pulling a hamstring and was eventually dismissed for a quick 30 off 13 balls.

SRH tightened their grip when Malinga removed CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad for 19. Sarfaraz Khan and Matthew Short then steadied the innings with a 46-run partnership, guiding CSK to 111/3 at the halfway mark.

The stand was broken in the 11th over when Malinga dismissed Sarfaraz for 25. SRH struck again soon after as Shivam Kumar removed Dewald Brevis for a duck.

With the pressure building, Short struggled to accelerate and was dismissed for 34 off 30 balls, giving Malinga his third wicket. Shivam Dube tried to revive the chase but was bowled by Sakib Hussain for 21.

Late efforts from Jamie Overton and Anshul Kamboj were not enough, as CSK failed to chase down 18 runs in the final over, finishing on 184/8. Malinga was the standout performer with figures of 3/29, while Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped in with two wickets to secure a 10-run win for SRH.

Asked to bat first, SRH began cautiously before accelerating in the power-play. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head looked in control, finding boundaries regularly. Abhishek’s explosive hitting in the fifth over, where he smashed Matthew Short for 25 runs, powered SRH to 63/0 in five overs.

CSK responded immediately as Mukesh Choudhary dismissed Head for 23, and Ishan Kishan fell for a duck on the next ball, leaving SRH at 75/2 after the powerplay. Abhishek’s innings ended in the eighth over when Jamie Overton induced an edge, caught by Sanju Samson. He made a rapid 59 off 22 balls, including six fours and four sixes.

SRH lost another wicket in the 11th over, but Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy added a quick 35-run partnership to stabilise the innings. Reddy scored 12 before departing, while Klaasen continued to attack, bringing up his fifty in 32 balls.

Klaasen was eventually bowled by Anshul Kamboj for 59 off 39 balls. Late cameos, including 12 off 8 from Shivam Kumar, helped SRH reach 194, though they fell short of 200.

For CSK, Overton and Kamboj picked up three wickets each, while Mukesh Choudhary claimed one.

Brief scores:

Sunrisers Hyderabad 194/9 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 59, Heinrich Klaasen 59; Anshul Kamboj 3-22, Jamie Overton 3-37, Mukesh Choudhary 2-21 ) defeated Chennai Super Kings 184/8 in 20 overs (Matthew Short 34, Ayush Mhatre 30, Sarfaraz Khan 25; Eshan Malinga 3-29, Nitish Reddy 2-31) by 10 runs.

–IANS

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