‘I felt blessed from above’: Ishan Kishan dedicates SRH’s convincing playoff push to grieving cousin – Play

Ishan Kishan of Sunrisers Hyderabad plays a shot during an IPL match against Chennai Super Kings. (AP photo) NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan spoke about an emotional family tragedy that drove him during his match-winning performance as Sunrisers Hyderabad sealed their place in the IPL 2026 playoffs with a five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday.Kishan’s 70 off 47 balls anchored SRH’s chase of 181, but after the game the left-hander said the innings meant much more than qualification. His cousin, who was dealing with a recent death in the family, was in the stands watching – and Kishan said that became his motivation. “Sometimes I feel like it’s about motivation as well and for me my motivation was today, my cousin is just standing there. He lost his sister. It’s been tough in our family and they’re watching the game here for the first time,” Kishan said.“So I wanted to finish the game for them. I’m glad they were there to witness that inning and I was able to finish the game.”A shift built on patienceKishan said the challenge at Chepauk was clear even when he was behind the stumps, with the surface offering enough grip and variable bounce to make the chase tricky.“When I kept the wicket, I felt that this wicket was not easy. I still felt that chasing that total was going to be a bit too much because the wicket was not easy at all, especially when the spinners were bowling and the slow balls were working very well,” he said.Ranked 3rd, Kishan knew his job was to stay till the end.“My job was just to try to finish the game because the batsmen coming in, especially at the back end, it’s difficult for them to get singles and score boundaries. So I had to play till the end.”His 75-run partnership with Heinrich Klaasen turned the chase around. Still, Kishan said there was no major tactical discussion between the two.“There was no conversation. We both just played our shots.”‘I had this feeling of power’What stayed with Kishan throughout was a feeling he couldn’t fully explain.“I felt blessed from above. I had this feeling of power, like yes, I can do it if I’m here for the team. We’re going to qualify and he’s going to be happy about that.”

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SRH captain Pat Cummins praised Kishan and Klaasen for perfect reading conditions, calling the pitch “pretty tough” and saying the duo “picked their matches and played some ridiculous shots”.The win not only kept SRH’s momentum alive but also ensured qualification alongside Gujarat Titans. But for Kishan, the night in Chepauk was deeply personal – a knock on family, grief and healing, wrapped up in one of SRH’s most important wins of the season.