Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan taunted Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans on Monday with a “whistle podu” celebration.
Ishan Kishan did the celebration following SRH’s five-wicket win over the five-time champions at Chepauk on Monday. Kishan scored 70 runs from 47 deliveries as SRH chased down a target of 181 with one over to spare.
Kishan, however, faced criticism from CSK fans for his aggressive celebration. “Ishan bro banter is fine and part of the game, but this felt unnecessary. It all started with IPL teams' admins, and now even players seem to be crossing the line for reactions. " This is too much,” one fan wrote.
“Never rated Ishan Kishan as a person, even on his good days. The arrogance in the way he carries himself says more than his performances ever will,” another fan wrote.
Kishan won the Player of the Match award for his heroics with the bat. He spoke about the challenges that he faced while batting on a tricky wicket.
“I think, when I was wicket-keeping, I just felt like this wicket is not easy. I still felt chasing this total is going to be a bit too much because, the wicket was not at all easy, especially when spinners were bowling and those slow balls working out very well, but at the same time, as a number three batter, I just felt, my job is to just try and finish the game because, batters coming in, especially at the back end, it's difficult for them to take singles and at the same time score boundaries. So I had to just play it till the last over,” he said.
After the match, Kishan shared a post on Instagram with a caption that read: “Only thing louder than the whistles was the bat. Into the playoffs.”
So far, the 27-year-old has scored 490 runs from 13 matches at a strike rate of 179.48. This includes five half-centuries.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, who now have 16 points from 13 matches, qualified for the IPL playoffs following their win over their South Indian rivals. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, are in a spot of bother.
The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side is in sixth place in the IPL 2026 standings with 12 points from 13 matches. A win over the Gujarat Titans in their next match will only take them to 14 points, which may not be enough for qualification.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, will finish their league stage campaign with a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Hyderabad on Friday.
