After half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen propelled SRH to a total of 194 for 9, strong bowling performances, especially Malinga’s three-wicket haul, restricted CSK’s run rate in the second half of their innings, ultimately leaving them 10 runs short.

Speaking on ‘Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Steyn described the contest as a “little humdinger,” noting, “Sunrisers, after the first few overs where they were conceding runs at almost 14 an over, made a good comeback by picking up a couple of wickets. There were a couple of breaks that went in SRH’s favour. After (Ruturaj) Gaikwad’s dismissal, as CSK started building a few partnerships, they kept losing wickets in the middle period when Malinga came into play.”

He added, “So, in the end, the pressure was on Chennai. When CSK needed to play big shots, the pinpoint yorkers came in from Malinga, right on the block hole. It was a fantastic bit of death bowling from SRH at the back end.”

On Malinga’s impressive bowling spell, Steyn said the pacer “rushed” skipper Gaikwad with a bouncer and surprised the opponent with a bouncer following numerous length balls that yielded runs. “He (Eshan) did not stop there. He managed to get two more big wickets of Matthew Short and Sarfaraz Khan. I thought he bowled well, managed his lengths well, and as the ball got a bit older and started to tail, he managed to hit the block hole. It was a fantastic piece of bowling by this young lad from Sri Lanka,” he remarked.

Steyn also commended fellow countryman Heinrich Klaasen for his consistent performances, which earned him the Orange Cap for the most runs this season, dubbing him a “one-man army” who leads SRH to strong totals in challenging situations. “Klaasen knows he has the potential to clear the ropes easily and up his strike-rate whenever he wants. He is such a boundary hitter, a powerful hitter. This season, he has played incredibly well and held the innings together for Sunrisers. Whenever they get into a little trouble and lose a couple of wickets, Klaasen is always there, standing like a one-man army to bail them out and get them to good scores. He is also wearing the Orange Cap now. With his consistent batting performances, he truly deserves to be the holder of that cap this season,” Steyn said.

In six innings, Klaasen has scored 283 runs at an average of 47.16, with a strike rate of 144.38, including three fifties and a best score of 62. SRH has risen to fourth place in the points table with three wins and three losses, while CSK stands seventh with two wins and four losses.

CSK elected to field first, and half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma (59 off 22 balls, with six fours and four sixes) and Heinrich Klaasen (59 off 39 balls, with six fours and two sixes) brought SRH to 194 for 9.

During the run chase of 195, CSK remained competitive due to innings from Ayush Mhatre (30 off 13 balls, including five fours and a six), Matthew Short (34 off 30 balls with three fours), and Sarfaraz Khan (25 off 16 balls with three fours). However, bowling spells from Eshan (3/29), Nitish Kumar Reddy (2/31), Sakib Hussain (1/32), and Shivang Kumar (1/18) maintained pressure during the second half, resulting in CSK falling 10 runs short.