IPL 2026: Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten ton in vain after Sunrisers Hyderabad defeat Punjab Kings by 33 runs

NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad outplayed Punjab Kings by 33 runs in a high-scoring IPL clash on Wednesday, climbing to the top of the points table. SRH piled up a massive 235/4, thanks to strong knocks from Heinrich Klaasen (69 off 43) and Ishan Kishan (55 off 32), while Punjab could only manage 202/7 in reply.

Punjab’s poor fielding proved costly throughout the match. The team dropped multiple easy catches, missed a simple stumping, and gave SRH batters several lifelines. Klaasen and Kishan especially made the most of those errors, punishing the bowlers after being dropped repeatedly.

SRH dominate with bat and ball

The match was largely decided during the powerplay. SRH openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head attacked from the start, taking the team to 79/1 in six overs. In contrast, Punjab struggled badly and ended their powerplay at 57/3 after quick wickets of Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer.

Abhishek smashed 35 off just 13 balls, while Head scored 38 off 19 to give Hyderabad the perfect start. Later, Klaasen and Kishan continued the assault, with SRH hitting 17 sixes overall. Nitish Reddy also chipped in with a quick unbeaten 29.

Punjab’s bowlers had a rough outing, especially Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh, who together leaked 100 runs in eight overs. Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal finished with decent figures but received little support from the fielders.

Cooper Connolly’s century goes in vain

For Punjab Kings, Cooper Connolly fought alone with an unbeaten 107 off 59 balls, but the target was always too steep after the poor start.

SRH bowlers Pat Cummins and Eshan Malinga kept things tight with crucial wickets and dot balls, ensuring Punjab never truly threatened the chase.

The loss marked Punjab’s ninth straight IPL defeat in Hyderabad and their third consecutive defeat this season.