The result at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium also ensured a play-off berth for the Gujarat Titans.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the first team to qualify for the play-offs.
Five teams now jostle for one remaining play-off place in the T20 tournament that will conclude with the final on May 31 in Ahmedabad.
The Sunrisers’ big guns in the form of skipper Pat Cummins, South Africa’s Heinrcih Klaasen and Ishan Kishan helped the team over the line.
Australian Cummins, with 3-28, struck key blows with his pace bowling to restrict the opposition to 180-7 in Chennai’s last home game.
Hyderabad slipped to 56-2 in their chase before the left-handed Kishan, who scored an attacking 70, and Klaasen, who made 47, put on 75 runs to guide the team home with six balls to spare. Klaasen hit the 2000-run mark in the IPL during his innings.
Chennai’s Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad denied Klaasen his fifty and Hyderabad lost another key wicket of Nitish Kumar Reddy before Kishan, a wicketkeeper-batter, struck decisive shots.
Milestone alert for the man who dictates terms in the middle overs 👏
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/4SxAzYKEvY#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #CSKvSRH pic.twitter.com/wHmgckG6vs
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2026
He departed after his 47-ball knock laced with seven fours and three sixes, but the job was done and Ravichandran Smaran hit the winning four.
Stabilizer as well as the aggressor 🔥
🎥 Ishan Kishan at the top of his game at Chepauk 🧡
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/4SxAzYKEvY#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #CSKvSRH | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/6pLQcQgkDb
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2026
Five-time champions Chennai’s fate now hangs by a thread.
Bowlers led by Cummins set the tone for Hyderabad’s domination after the Australian quick struck first to dismiss Sanju Samson, caught behind for 27.
Cummins then took down skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, for 15, and Kartik Sharma, for 32, as Chennai lost regular wickets.
Proteas star Dewald Brevis hit a 27-ball 44 and put on 59 runs with Shivam Dube to raise Chennai’s hopes of a 200-plus total but it was not to be.
Sri Lanka’s Eshan Malinga bowled Brevis and fellow quick Sakib Hussain rattled the stumps of left-handed Dube to hurt Chennai.
In reply, Hydebarad lost their attacking openers including Travis Head, for six, and Abhishek Sharma, for 26, before Kishan and Klaasen took charge.
The left-right batting combination of Kishan and Klaasen put the chase back on track and despite wickets at the end, Hyderabad sealed the win and the ticket into the next stage.
The finishing move 🧡#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #CSKvSRH | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/cgWz8QJRGg
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2026
— AFP
Photo: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters
