New Delhi, May 25 (UNI) A whirlwind century from Heinrich Klaasen, followed by a fiery three-wicket haul each from Jaydev Unadkat and Harsh Dubey, powered Sunrisers Hyderabad to a crushing 110-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 68 of the Indian Premier League 2025 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Sunday.
Klaasen lit up the evening with an unbeaten 105 off just 39 balls, propelling SRH to a mammoth 278 for 3 – one of the highest team totals in IPL history. The South African wicketkeeper-batsman’s carnage, laced with 9 fours and 7 sixes, left the KKR bowlers in complete disarray and ensured Hyderabad made full use of their decision to bat first.
In reply, KKR never looked in the hunt. Unadkat ripped through the top order with figures of 3 for 24, dismissing Sunil Narine and skipper Ajinkya Rahane in quick succession. Harsh Dubey then ran through the middle order, claiming 3 for 34, including the crucial wickets of Rinku Singh, Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh, as Kolkata folded for 168 in 18.4 overs.
Young pacer Eshan Malinga also made his mark with 3 for 31, as the SRH bowlers maintained relentless pressure throughout the innings. Manish Pandey (37 off 23) and Narine (31 off 16) offered brief resistance, but their efforts were in vain against Hyderabad’s clinical bowling unit.
Earlier, Abhishek Sharma (32 off 16) gave SRH a flying start in the powerplay before Travis Head took charge with a belligerent 76 off 40 balls, including 6 sixes and as many boundaries. Klaasen then took over, launching an all-out assault in the death overs, while Ishan Kishan added a handy 29 and Aniket Verma chipped in with 12*.
The KKR bowlers endured a forgettable outing, leaking 24 extras – 14 of them wides – further compounding their misery. Sunil Narine (2 for 42) was the lone bright spot in an otherwise demoralising evening for the visitors.
With this emphatic victory, Sunrisers Hyderabad have reaffirmed their playoff credentials, while Kolkata Knight Riders’ campaign continues to spiral downwards.
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