Cooper Connolly played a brilliant knock and scored his first IPL century, but it was not enough for his team. SRH were once again too strong while defending a total above 220. They won the match by 33 runs and moved to the top of the points table.
Earlier in the evening, PBKS won the toss and opted to chase. SRH came out firing as Abhishek Sharma went on a rampage, smashing 35 off just 13 balls before Shreyas Iyer held on to a catch at mid-off. At the other end, Travis Head kept the momentum going with a fluent 38 off 19, powering SRH to 79/1 in the powerplay. Punjab Kings were sloppy in the field, putting down multiple chances, much to the frustration of Yuzvendra Chahal, as both Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen were handed lifelines that proved costly.
Connolly’s Century Goes in Vain as SRH Beat PBKS by 33 Runs
The middle overs were dominated by Kishan and Klaasen, who stitched together a crucial 88-run stand off 48 balls for the third wicket, setting the platform for a big total. Ishan Kishan (55 off 32) brought up his fifty in style with a hat-trick of sixes, while Klaasen took charge at the death, finishing as the top scorer with 69 off 43 balls. Nitish Kumar Reddy added the finishing touches with a brisk unbeaten 29 off 13 as SRH posted a massive total of 235/4 in their 20 overs.
In reply, PBKS had a disastrous start. Priyansh Arya fell for 1 in the opening over to Pat Cummins, and Nitish Kumar Reddy struck first ball in the next over to dismiss Prabhsimran Singh. Shreyas Iyer, usually reliable in chases, also fell cheaply for 5 as PBKS slumped to 23/3 inside 4 overs. Marcus Stoinis and Cooper Connolly tried to rebuild with a 40-run stand, but Stoinis departed for 28 off 14 balls. Suryansh Shedge chipped in with 25 off 17, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals.
PBKS were 110/5 and falling behind the required rate. Cooper Connolly (107*) stood tall amid the collapse, playing a lone hand and batting right through the innings. He brought up a well-deserved hundred off 57 balls, but with little support from the other end, the task proved too steep. Two wickets apiece for Pat Cummins (2/34) and Shivang Kumar (2/45). SRH eventually sealed a 33-run victory, continuing their dominance at home, as PBKS slumped to their 9th defeat in Hyderabad.