NEW DELHI: Batter Ishan Kishan announced his arrival at Sunrisers Hyderabad in style on Sunday, smashing his maiden IPL century for the Men in Orange in just 45 balls to spearhead a breathtaking assault on Rajasthan Royals.
On a day when nearly every batter found rhythm, it was Kishan who stood tallest, turning the spotlight firmly on himself with a power-packed performance that helped SRH post a towering 286/6 — just one short of their own record for the highest total in IPL history.
Walking in after a fiery opening stand between Travis Head (67 off 31) and Abhishek Sharma (24 off 11), Kishan made his intentions clear from the get-go.
He blended timing with brute force, taking apart the Royals’ bowling, especially England’s Jofra Archer, whose four-over spell leaked a staggering 76 runs — the most expensive in IPL history.
Kishan’s 85-run partnership with Head laid the perfect platform before he switched gears, peppering the field with boundaries and bringing up his century with a mix of finesse and fearless hitting.
With 34 fours and 12 sixes in the innings, SRH’s batting blitz was nothing short of historic.
Though Rajasthan Royals mounted a spirited chase with Sanju Samson (66) and Dhruv Jurel (70) stitching together a 111-run stand, Kishan’s ton had already put the result beyond doubt.
Despite a late flurry from Hetmyer and Dubey, the Royals fell short by 44 runs.
For Kishan, this was more than just a century. In his first match for SRH, he’s not only etched his name into the franchise’s history but also sent a powerful message to the rest of the league.