
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad turned into a sea of orange on Monday as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) delivered a clinical performance to dismantle Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 21st match of the IPL 2026 season. In a contest that promised high-octane drama, the hosts asserted their dominance from the outset, securing a massive 57-run victory that sent a clear message to the rest of the league. Led by a captain’s knock from Ishan Kishan and a sensational opening spell by Praful Hinge, SRH successfully defended a daunting total of 216/6, bowling out the visitors for 159.
Ishan Kishan’s explosive innings set the stage for SRH
Choosing to bat first on a surface that offered true bounce, SRH faced an early hiccup when Abhishek Sharma fell for a duck on the very first ball. However, captain Kishan took the responsibility of the recovery entirely upon his shoulders. Kishan played a knock for the ages, smashing 91 runs off just 44 deliveries. His innings was a masterclass in aggressive T20 batting, laced with 7 fours and 8 towering sixes, operating at a blistering strike rate of 206.81.
Kishan found an able partner in Travis Head (18) and later Heinrich Klaasen, who added a quick-fire 40 off 26 balls. The middle order kept the momentum swinging in the hosts’ favor, with Nitish Kumar Reddy contributing a cameo of 28 from 13 balls. Despite a late flurry of wickets, including a run-out of Aniket Verma, SRH posted a formidable 216/6. Rajasthan’s bowling unit struggled under the onslaught, with Sandeep Sharma and Tushar Deshpande conceding over 13 runs per over, despite Jofra Archer’s valiant 2/37.
Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain dismantled RR’s batting unit
The chase for Rajasthan Royals began in catastrophic fashion, largely thanks to a breathtaking spell from Hinge. In a display of elite swing bowling, Hinge effectively ended the contest within the Powerplay. He removed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius all for ducks in his opening burst, finishing with remarkable figures of 4/34. By the time Hinge removed the RR captain Riyan Parag (4), the Royals were reeling at a dismal 9/5.
While Donovan Ferreira (69 off 44) and Ravindra Jadeja (45 off 32) staged a gritty 118-run partnership for the sixth wicket to salvage some pride, the mountain was too steep to climb. Sakib Hussain provided the perfect support from the other end, utilizing his pace to dismantle the tail. Hussain finished with 4/24, cleaning up the lower order including the dangerous Ferreira and Archer. Eshan Malinga also chipped in with two wickets to ensure the Royals were bundled out for 159 in 19 overs.
Also WATCH: Praful Hinge removes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius for ducks in his first over
Here’s how fans reacted:
Praful Hinge: 4-0-34-4
Sakib Hussain: 4-0-24-4
A debut to remember for lifetime for both of them. SRH scouting masterclass. pic.twitter.com/tH1lLmKPqm
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) April 13, 2026
Debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain against RR batsmen today. #SRHvsRR pic.twitter.com/qUyRHmSXSr
— Deepu (@deepu_drops) April 13, 2026
4-34 from Praful Hinge who has blown up the IPL with that first over
Might go for runs in the future or he might have even better performances but this performance will forever remain special in the young man’s career pic.twitter.com/laCR72FsWr
— Adi (@arandomguyposts) April 13, 2026
A script written by fate… what a night for Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain.
— Advait Nachankar (@Adwaitingforyou) April 13, 2026
Sakib Hussain & Praful Hinge — the Orange Army’s heroes tonight ❤️🔥🔥
Pure impact. Pure dominance. 🧡#srhvsrr #hussain #prafulhinge #srh pic.twitter.com/igi7t9DtJN— Cine-Ket (@thiruuuuuu2105) April 13, 2026
Praful Hinge. Remember the name, because this guy is a damn good talent for Srh and Indian team.
24 years old 🤩
Comes from Nagpur ❤️
Got picked for 30 L in auction👍
Finished the match in 1st over by taking 3 wkts.😊 pic.twitter.com/a1i5HFwuEO— Vk Fangirl (@VkFangirle) April 13, 2026
🚨 SRH BECOMES THE FIRST TEAM TO DEFEAT RAJASTHAN ROYALS IN IPL 2026. 🚨
– The Ishan Kishan army is back to the winning ways!#srhvsrr pic.twitter.com/z10bZ17TH7
— Ayush Singh (@AyushSingh4173) April 13, 2026
Ishan Kishan 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8mw04Mj3Ld
— Vinod Kushwah Patel (@imvkglg) April 13, 2026
WSakib Hussain takes two in two balls. 🎯🔥
Ravi Bishnoi — 0(1)
Ishan Kishan takes the catch.Sakib finishes with 4/24 on debut. 💥#sakibhussain #srh #rrvssrh #ipl2026 pic.twitter.com/yuxCy6TQFI
— InfoGuru (@Infoguru_twitte) April 13, 2026
180 plus SR in T20Is Since 2025: (Min 500 balls faced).
202.3 – Abhishek Sharma
196.7 – Finn Allen
190.8 – Mitchell Owen
187.2 – Ishan kishan
182.6 – Donovan FerreiraSunrisers Hyderabad boys on the top.🥶
— MANU. (@IMManu_18) April 13, 2026
THE HAPPINESS OF ISHAN KISHAN ON TEAM PERFORMANCE. #SRHvsRR #IshanKishan pic.twitter.com/YmZaTbn260
— Somesh Jangra (@CelebrityGalax) April 13, 2026
Also READ: IPL 2026: Who is Praful Hinge? The debutant for SRH in today’s game against Punjab Kings

![IPL 2026 [WATCH]: Praful Hinge removes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius for ducks in his first over IPL 2026 [WATCH]: Praful Hinge removes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius for ducks in his first over](https://i3.wp.com/crickettimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Praful-Hinge-removes-Vaibhav-Sooryavanshi-Dhruv-Jurel-and-Lhuan-dre-Pretorius-for-ducks-in-his-first-over.webp?ssl=1)





