SRH vs PBKS Highlights, IPL 2026: Cooper Connolly's century in vain as Punjab Kings suffer hat-trick of defeats

Up next - Match number 50 of the season takes us to Lucknow on Thursday, 7th May. Having lost their last six games, the Lucknow Super Giants will square off against the defending champions, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The game will commence at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). We look forward to having your company then. It's goodbye for now. Cheers!

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Pat Cummins wins the award. The SRH skipper returned figures of 2/34 in his 4 overs, including 10 dot balls, and also chipped in with a couple of catches in the field. Cummins says that their batters played really well, and beating a really good side in PBKS means a lot. Pat adds that they have been really good at adjusting throughout the course of the game. Reckons that they have played really good cricket at Hyderabad for the last few years, and they feel like the pitch doesn't matter much as they can adjust accordingly anytime. Pat mentions that individually, he is feeling really good and playing really fresh. On the wicket of Arya, Pat says that not much has gone in the favour of the bowlers in the Powerplay, and all he was looking for was to bluff Arya and dart in a short one, and it worked for him. The SRH captain concludes by praising Cooper, saying that it is really good to see the Aussies do well, and he is showing his worth for his franchise.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

Runs and reprieves - After being inserted to bat, fireworks up top from Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head laid the perfect platform for SRH. Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen then capitalised on the groundwork laid by the openers, with both riding their luck on the way to half-centuries. Ishan was dropped on 9 and 18, while a stumping chance also went begging when he was on 19. Klaasen, too, was put down early, on 9, as PBKS endured a difficult evening in the field. In contrast, SRH were a lot better in the field and made sure they converted their chances. Nitish Kumar Reddy too chipped in with a handy cameo to help the home side reach 235. Punjab bowled better than the scorecard suggests, and had they held onto those opportunities, it could have been a very different story.

A mountain too steep to scale - In chases like these, a team may not necessarily win the game in the Powerplay, but there is every chance of losing it in the first six overs. Losing three wickets in the Powerplay made the task significantly tougher for the tourists. Cooper Connolly fought a lone battle for the Kings, with his maiden IPL hundred proving to be nothing more than a consolation in the end. A couple of expensive overs against the spinners briefly injected some momentum into the innings, but Pat Cummins smartly brought pace back on. The seamers used the cutters effectively on a wicket that slowed down as the game went on, and that aided in making scoring difficult and putting the game beyond Punjab's reach.

SRH's head coach - Daniel Vettori says losing the toss meant they had to go against their preferred plan. Admits they were fortunate with a few dropped catches going their way. Dan points out how tough Sakib was to handle at the end and feels there was still enough in the wicket. Adds that the team knows what needs to be done, especially with challenging surfaces coming up in Ahmedabad and Chennai. On Cummins’ captaincy, he praises both him and Ishan for a brilliant season, highlighting that Pat’s biggest strength is his calmness. Mentions that he stays composed, particularly while defending big totals when there’s a lot happening, and that composure filters through the side. On SRH's fielding, he describes the catching as excellent and says it reflects the steady improvement the team has been working towards, coming together at the right time.

The captain of the Punjab Kings - Shreyas Iyer says 235 was a bit too much as they dropped a lot of catches and they gave away 30-40 runs as the cutters were gripping a lot towards the end of the SRH innings. Iyer adds that SRH showed them the way on how things could have been done on this deck. Iyer mentions that it is important to stick to the same mindset and not dwindle here and there with doubts creeping in. Iyer credits Cooper for the way he batted and says that Cooper has a really great mindset, and he has scored key runs for them in the past and today as well. Shreyas says that Chahal was fearless against his matchup on the left-handers in particular, and it was unfortunate for him and for the side that the catches were not taken off his bowling.

The Sunrisers rise to the top - It is the 7th win of the season for Hyderabad, and the 5th that has come while defending a total. This win takes the Sunrisers to the top of the standings. A third successive defeat for the Punjab Kings after being unbeaten in the first 7 games. This is their 10th straight defeat in Hyderabad, with their last win here coming all the way back on 14th May, 2014.

Shivang Kumar to Cooper Connolly, That's the game done! Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 33 runs. Flighted delivery, full and outside off. Cooper Connolly gets down on a knee for the slog sweep, but the ball lands and spins away with a bit of extra bounce to beat him on the outside edge.

Shivang Kumar to Cooper Connolly, SIX! Easy pickings! Good reach from Connolly. Short and outside off, turning away from the left-hander. Connolly clears the front leg, stays leg side of the ball, and smashes it over long off for six. This brings up the 200 for Punjab Kings.

Shivang Kumar to Cooper Connolly, WIDE! Miles outside off, Cooper is not interested at all as it is left alone.

Shivang Kumar to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! MAIDEN IPL HUNDRED FOR CONNOLLY! A special moment for the young Aussie who has bettered his credentials after a bit of a quiet phase with a fighting knock, single-handedly. Good length, outside off with the googly turning back in. Connolly drops to one knee to heave it towards the leg side. He still makes decent contact despite losing balance, clears backward square leg, and it races away for four after one bounce. A moment sliced out of pressure, and Connolly stands tall. His teammates are on their feet, applauding a knock that has showcased his full range.

Shivang Kumar to Cooper Connolly, WIDE! Fires one miles outside off, on a length, Cooper leaves. It breaches the tramline. Wide called.

Shivang Kumar to Cooper Connolly, This is dropped short, on middle and leg. Cooper Connolly goes back in the crease and flicks it away to the left of deep mid-wicket. He comes charging back for the second run.

Shivang Kumar to Vijaykumar Vyshak, Oh, just short of the fielder! Good length, a googly outside off. Vijaykumar Vyshak pushes at it away from his body and gets a thick outside edge. The ball loops up but drops short of Sakib at short third. He fumbles on the pickup as it spins away slightly. They cross.

In walks Vijaykumar Vyshak with Cooper Connolly at the other end on 95.

Shivang Kumar to Marco Jansen, OUT! TAKEN EASILY! Wicket number 2 for Shivang. Full and well flighted outside off and it is the googly as well. Jansen gets on the front foot and swings hard, looking to clear the leg side, but gets a top edge. The ball is ballooned and safely taken by Harsh Dubey at backward point, who moves a bit to his right. Punjab Kings are 187/7. 

Shivang Kumar (3-0-30-1) to bowl the final over of the game.

Harsh Dubey to Cooper Connolly, SIX! Nicely clubbed! Pitched up, just outside off. Connolly steps ahead, gets under it, and launches a big hit straight down the ground. It goes high and clears long on for six.

Harsh Dubey to Marco Jansen, Short at 106.4 kph, around off. Jansen smashes it to the right of long off for a single.

Harsh Dubey to Marco Jansen, SIX! Clears the fence! Pitched up, outside the off stump line. Easy pickings for Jansen as he bends, frees his arms, and clears the long off fence.

Harsh Dubey to Cooper Connolly, Full and quick, worked down to long on for a single.

Harsh Dubey to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! Races away to the fence! Darted on a fuller length, on off. Cooper Connolly clears the front leg and swings hard across the line. Gets a fat inside edge and it squirts past Ravichandran Smaran at short fine leg and beats his chase.

Harsh Dubey to Marco Jansen, Dropped short from a wider angle, around the stump. Jansen stands tall and miscues the pull shot, on the bounce to deep mid-wicket for a run.

With Nitish Kumar Reddy off the field and the rest of the pacers having bowled out, it will be spin in the remaining two overs. Harsh Dubey to bowl the 19th over. He went for 17 runs in his only over so far.

Sakib Hussain to Cooper Connolly, FOUR! Runs away! Slips in a full toss, wide outside off. Cooper Connolly flashes very hard at it and slices off the outside edge, and it shoots away to the right of the short third fielder for a boundary. Sakib Hussain finishes his spell with 1/40 in 4 overs.

Sakib Hussain to Marco Jansen, Another full ball with pace taken off, at just 108.2 kph. Jansen drags it off the inner half to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Sakib Hussain to Marco Jansen, At 127.6 kph, this is slammed hard into the pitch, slanted to the leg stump. Marco Jansen decides to duck under it.

Sakib Hussain to Cooper Connolly, Slower ball, pitched outside leg, Cooper drills the full ball to long on for a single.

Sakib Hussain to Cooper Connolly, Two is the call and they will get it! Back of a length, on off, angling away. Cooper Connolly dances down the track to hit it down the ground, but gets it off the inside half and the ball rolls to the mid-wicket region. Harsh Dubey comes charging in off the ropes and throws it to the bowling end, but the batters hustle back for the second run before the throw arrives.

Sakib Hussain to Marco Jansen, Low full toss at pace, on off, Jansen slaps it down to the left of long on for a single.

Sakib Hussain to Marco Jansen, WIDE! Spots Jansen shuffle outside off, Sakib sprays it wide beyond the tramline. Marco leaves. Wide given.

Sakib Hussain (3-0-30-1) to bowl out now.

Eshan Malinga to Marco Jansen, Off cutter, on a length, around middle. Jansen heaves it off the inside half of the bat to deep mid-wicket for a run.

Eshan Malinga to Cooper Connolly, Full on middle. Cooper drills it down to long on for a single. 

Eshan Malinga to Cooper Connolly, SIX! Two in two for Cooper! Short, slow, on top of middle. Cooper Connolly generates his own power by standing tall and plundering it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Eshan Malinga to Cooper Connolly, SIX! Frees his arms! Fuller one, slower as well, on middle. Cooper Connolly clubs it downtown for a cracking six. Right off the sweet spot.

Eshan Malinga to Marco Jansen, Slow and full, around off, Marco heaves it off the inner half to widish mid-wicket for a single.

Eshan Malinga (3-0-20-1) has been brought back.

Eshan Malinga to Cooper Connolly, DROPPED! That went up and kissed the moon before descending. Shivang Kumar never settled under the ball. Fuller delivery on the leg stump line. Connolly clears the front leg and mistimes an attempted big hit towards the leg side. The top edge sends it high towards deep mid-wicket. Shivang Kumar charges in from the boundary and moves at the last second to his right. He dives, gets both hands to it, but cannot hold on and spills the catch.

Pat Cummins to Marco Jansen, Pat ends his spell by giving a couple. On a length, into the batter, cramping Marco for the room he was after. Marco Jansen ends up heaving this to deep mid-wicket. Abhishek Sharma runs in, but the ball drops short and bounces past him. Two runs taken.

Pat Cummins to Cooper Connolly, Pat nails a prefect yorker, on middle and leg, Cooper Connolly jams this through point for a single. 

Pat Cummins to Marco Jansen, Another slower cutter, on middle and off, Jansen fends this through mid-wicket for a run. 

Pat Cummins to Cooper Connolly, Full and wide of off, Cooper Connolly drills this to long off for a single.