IPL 2026: Varun Aaron praises 'underrated' Eshan Malinga after win

SRH defeated CSK by 10 runs in IPL 2026, defending a 194-run total. Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen scored fifties. Bowling coach Varun Aaron praised Eshan Malinga's match-winning spell of 3/29, calling him an 'underrated bowler'.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Rivalry Week culminated with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Southern Derby as SRH successfully defended a 194-run total in Hyderabad, and the SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron praised his fast bowlers after the win.

While chasing a challenging target of 195 runs, CSK had moments of control with quick contributions from Ayush Mhatre (30 off 13 balls), Matthew Short (34 off 30 balls), and Sarfaraz Khan (25 off 16 balls). However, SRH's bowlers, led by Eshan Malinga (3/29) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (2/31), tightened the screws in the middle and death overs. Key breakthroughs at regular intervals halted CSK's momentum, leaving them short despite a late push. CSK fell 10 runs short, finishing just behind after failing to accelerate in the final overs, with SRH's disciplined bowling proving decisive.

Aaron heaps praise on 'underrated' Eshan Malinga

Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live', Aaron heaped praise on Eshan Malinga for his bowling performance. "Eshan Malinga is a very underrated bowler. Since the start of the campaign, he has bowled very well. He bowled well last season, too. Especially when the ball reverses, he becomes even more effective towards the death overs. He can bowl at around 145 km/h, has a sharp bouncer, and can nail the perfect yorker. He is a pure T20 bowler with all-round ability. I believe he can take the new ball as well, not just for us going forward, but even for Sri Lanka," he said.

Abhishek, Klaasen fifties power SRH

Earlier in the match, SRH posted 194/9 while batting first, driven by explosive half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma (59 off 22 balls) and Heinrich Klaasen (59 off 39 balls). Abhishek provided a blazing start with a record-fast fifty, while Klaasen anchored the innings after early wickets. CSK bowlers Jamie Overton (3/37), Anshul Kamboj (3/22), and Mukesh Choudhary (2/21) helped restrict SRH from crossing the 200-run mark despite a strong platform.

'Express yourself with conviction': Aaron on bowling plans

Except for Praful Hinge, all SRH bowlers bowled with a good economy rate, especially Sakib Hussain, Nitish Kumar Reddy and the young spinner Shivang Kumar.

Speaking about the bowling plans of SRH, Aaron said, "When the wickets are flat, the focus is on execution, and the bowlers' plans are fully trusted within the group. For example, Sakib was bowling a very good slower ball in the last game, but he said it wasn't coming out of his hand as well in this game, though he was confident in bowling the yorker."

"So, we take the bowlers' feedback, believe in their plans, and if we feel something, then we give our input. They are two very young bowlers. Dan and I just have one message, and that's not to take undue pressure; express yourself with conviction. On wickets like these, if you don't bowl with conviction, you'll get hit even on your good balls," he concluded.

Impact on IPL 2026 Points Table

With this win, SRH climbed to fourth place in the IPL 2026 points table on the back of three wins in six matches, while CSK slipped to seventh place with two wins in six games. (ANI)

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