Sakib Hussain gave Sunrisers Hyderabad a lift on 18 May 2026, knocking over Urvil Patel with a slow off-cutter on the third ball of the fifth over in the first innings against Chennai Super Kings. Patel misread the delivery, swung early and watched his off stump get uprooted as CSK lost another wicket in a match both sides badly needed to win.
Patel made 13 runs off eight deliveries before falling, while Sanju Samson had already provided the early thrust for Chennai with 27 off 13 balls, including five fours and one six. By the time the two wickets had gone, Chennai were 57 for 2 in six overs, a start that kept them moving but also left them with work to do after choosing to bat first.
Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and decided Chennai would bat first against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a game framed as a must-win contest for both teams. The selection of batting first suggested confidence in setting a target, but the early strikes from Hyderabad made the powerplay feel less comfortable than Chennai would have wanted.
For Hussain, the dismissal was another sharp moment in a season where the young pacer has been asked to lean on pace changes and make the new ball and middle overs count. It also fit the approach Sunrisers captain Pat Cummins has defended repeatedly: back the aggressive style, even when it does not come off every night. Cummins has said the mood in the camp has stayed positive and that his side will keep leaning into that brand of cricket because it is their strength.
That attitude matters in a match like this, where the margin for error is thin and one breakthrough can change the tone of the innings. Patel had just hit a 65-run knock against Lucknow Super Giants on May 10, so Hussain’s wicket took out a batter who had recently shown he could settle in and do damage. Chennai still had a platform at 57 for 2 after six overs, but the dismissal reminded both dugouts how quickly a powerplay can tilt when a bowler gets one delivery to hold its line and fool the batter.
