In match number 49 of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, two legendary teams, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. Fans came in large numbers to support the Orange Army and they did not disappoint, defeating the in-form team by 33 runs.
PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and decided to bowl first. They made some changes after the defeat of their previous match, with Lockie Ferguson and Shashank Singh returning to the team in place of Xavier Bartlett and Nehal Wadhera. Pat Cummins’ side also made one change with the inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy, who missed the last game due to injury.
Heinrich Klaasen gave a tremendous performance against PBKS
After being invited to bat first, the opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head went on the attack from the very first over and added 50 runs in four overs. The former was out on 35 and Head continued his explosive start with 38 runs off 19 balls.
Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen made a partnership of 88 runs, although they were unlucky at the start of the innings, missing 3 catches and also missed a tough stumping opportunity. They took charge from there and both scored half-centuries respectively. Kishan scored a half-century in 28 balls and was out after scoring 55 runs.
Klaasen continued his havoc and scored an inning of 69 runs in 43 balls. He was out on the last ball of the first innings, along with him Nitish Kumar Reddy also scored 29 runs in 13 balls and both scored 63 runs in 32 balls. Pat Cummins’s team finished with a score of 235/4.
Cooper Connolly’s century went in vain
PBKS openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh could not provide the needed start to the run chase as they both got out on single-digit scores. Captain Shreyas Iyer also failed and was out after scoring five runs as he lost four wickets inside the first 7 overs.
Then it was Cooper Connolly who struggled alone and remained unbeaten on 107 off 59 balls. Marcus Stoinis and Suryansh Shedge contributed 28 and 25 runs respectively and Marco Johnson scored 19 runs, leaving Punjab trailing by 34 runs.
Punjab is a really good team – Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins was awarded the Player of the Match award for his brilliant bowling, taking two wickets for 34 runs and also taking a few catches, and effectively led the team in the game. Ever since Pat Cummins joined the team, they have won three matches and lost one.
Pat Cummins said, “Punjab is a really good team. I thought what the batsmen did was sensational. No matter what the score was, bowling second against that team was clinical. We are very good at playing at our pace.”
“It’s just trying to maximize. During the day we’re not good [at home]! It created a little grip, which suited our bowlers. We’ve seen this before; We can accommodate. I fell really good. Came in this fresh. Nothing really worked for either team in the powerplay. We have lots of options. good result [for Connolly]. Nice to see the Australian team performing well. there is hope [it’s our season]”
Also Read: “Remember the Name”: Fans applaud Cooper Connolly’s maiden century against SRH in IPL 2026
