Top News

After a 33-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 49th match of IPL 2026, Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer lamented the costly dropped catches by his team. SRH set a formidable target, scoring 235 runs for 4 wickets in their 20 overs. Despite an impressive unbeaten century from Connolly, who scored 107 runs off 59 balls, PBKS fell short by 33 runs.

During the match, Cooper Connolly missed a catch of Ishan Kishan when he was on nine runs in the eighth over. The following over saw Shashank Singh drop Heinrich Klaasen off Yuzvendra Chahal's bowling. Kishan was given another chance in the 11th over when Lockie Ferguson dropped him again, this time when he had 18 runs. Both players capitalized on these opportunities, with Klaasen scoring 69 runs off 43 balls and Kishan contributing 55 runs off 32 balls, making the dropped catches particularly detrimental for PBKS.

In the post-match presentation, Iyer acknowledged that the team's poor fielding, especially the early dropped catches, cost them dearly as the pitch slowed down, allowing SRH to dominate the game. He praised Connolly for his outstanding performance under pressure and commended Chahal for his bold bowling. Iyer emphasized the need for PBKS to enhance their consistency and fielding standards to maintain their momentum, stating, "We had a fairytale start to the tournament, but if we continue with the same form, it won't help us. Connolly's mindset is exceptional, and Chahal bowled fearlessly. Unfortunately, we couldn't hold onto the catches."

Punjab Kings opted to bowl first after winning the toss. SRH's Travis Head (38) and Abhishek Sharma (35) provided a strong start, but PBKS had a chance to regain control by reducing SRH to 86 for 2 in just 7 overs. However, missed catches proved to be costly.

SRH finished with a massive total of 235 runs for 4 wickets, bolstered by fifties from Heinrich Klaasen (69*) and Ishan Kishan (55), along with solid contributions from Head and Sharma. Chahal was the standout bowler for PBKS, recording figures of 1 wicket for 32 runs in 4 overs.

In pursuit of 236 runs, PBKS faced an early setback, collapsing to 23 for 3. Connolly's remarkable innings of 107* off 59 balls made him the youngest overseas centurion in IPL history, but he lacked sufficient support as PBKS ended their innings at 202 for 7.

SRH's bowling attack, led by Pat Cummins, effectively rotated bowlers to prevent PBKS from gaining any momentum. Cummins took 2 wickets for 34 runs, while Shivang Kumar (2/45), Sakib Hussain (1/40), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/11 in 2 overs) contributed to the team's success.