Kolkata, April 3 (NationPress) Captain Ishan Kishan of Sunrisers Hyderabad commended his team's unwavering dedication following their dominant 65-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the IPL 2026 match at Eden Gardens. Kishan expressed his joy at witnessing every player contributing to the team’s inaugural win this season.

"It’s not about my performance; it’s about how the entire team played. I'm genuinely pleased with their commitment on the field, as everyone put in their maximum effort, which was something I emphasized before the match. I was just thrilled to see the collective effort,” Kishan remarked after the match.

He praised Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma for their explosive partnership in the Power-play, amassing 82 runs. "To be honest, the pitch wasn’t that favorable. However, Head and Abhishek delivered impressive innings, and those runs in the power play made things easier for us. It allowed every batter to settle in and grasp the pitch conditions. I must credit both batters and Klassy for finishing strong, while Nitesh also played a fantastic innings. It was truly a team effort,” he explained.

On the bowling side, Kishan emphasized the significance of early wickets, referencing Harsh Dubey's dismissal of Finn Allen. "Our strategy was to target wickets. We know how difficult it is to stop Finn once he gets going, but we focused on taking wickets. Harsh bowled well and was fortunate to claim his wicket. I’m extremely satisfied with the bowlers' performances and their adherence to our game plans. Harsh has been excelling in domestic cricket and is now demonstrating calmness under pressure,” he added.

Kishan also highlighted debutant Shivang Kumar for his bold approach. "I want to acknowledge Shivang today because, despite playing against KKR on a smaller ground with a good wicket in the second innings, he bowled exceptionally well. His hard work has paid off. He has been in constant touch with the coaches, striving to understand the game dynamics here. His courageous bowling against Rinku, especially with those flighted deliveries, is exactly what we want to see from a young bowler,” he stated.

However, he recognized that fielding remains a concern. "We are learning from each game, and fielding is an area we need to improve. We cannot afford to concede 20 runs in every match. In the IPL, every run counts significantly in a T20 game. We will address this as a team,” Kishan remarked.

KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane admitted that their chase fell short during the middle overs. "We had a couple of significant partnerships. The players who were set needed to carry the innings deeper. I thought we made a strong comeback for 7-8 overs. Initially, they were at 130-140 odd. However, while bowling, I felt we did well. In chasing, partnerships are essential, and we failed to secure that,” he commented.

On the conditions, Rahane observed, "In the second innings, I felt the ball was stopping slightly. The slower balls were gripping more than in the first innings. We anticipated the wicket would improve, but it was a bit tricky. Nonetheless, we had a solid start; after the first six overs, we were at 78. We lost one crucial wicket, and Green was run out. Other than that, we were on track. The middle overs proved crucial for us, and we needed that partnership with the established batters, which didn’t happen. The SRH bowlers executed their slower deliveries and angles effectively,” he explained.

Rahane underscored the significance of winning home matches. "Securing a home win is vital. We need to reflect on our combination. Whether we need an additional batter or adjustments in bowling, we’ll consider that. We have 3-4 days to regroup and shouldn’t overthink. The players are performing well, but we just had one off day with the bat. In the last game, we performed admirably. We just need those crucial partnerships and a positive mindset to excel,” he concluded.