Sunrisers Hyderabad’s plans came apart in key moments, and coach Daniel Vettori admitted his side never fully recovered as Kolkata Knight Riders closed out their IPL clash here on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 165, SRH cantered home, reaching 169 for 3 in 18.2 overs.
IPL 2026 | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap
“We got off to a great start but couldn’t capitalise on that, lost some wickets at crucial times. 160 is incredibly difficult to defend, even if the wicket was a bit slow. But we had enough fight after the powerplay to give a small chance. But they managed to chase really well,” Vettori said in the post-match press conference.
Reflecting on the defeat, Vettori stressed that the steady stream of dismissals repeatedly stalled the Sunrisers’
progress and undercut any sustained pressure they tried to build.
“We just lost wickets in crucial times and in T20 games, even if you have momentum, if the opposition goes hard, it’s really hard to regain the momentum.
“The wickets of Travis Head, Ishan, Klaasen…had any of them continued, it would have been different, but KKR bowled really well. The spinners found their length really well, in particular.”
The spinners Varun Chakravarthy (3/36) and Sunil Narine (2/31) were the star performers with the ball for KKR.
“Chakravarthy was able to take wickets even if we put him under pressure early on,” he said.
For Vettori and SRH, the match underlined how rapidly a chase can slip away when key batters fall and in-form spinners, led by Chakravarthy and Narine, seize control at decisive stages.
(With Agency Inputs)
