PBKS vs SRH. (Photo Credits: Punjab Kings/X)
Punjab Kings won’t spend much time at home this season. They have played just one game in New Chandigarh. Playing at home has not been a big advantage for PBKS. In New Chandigarh, they have lost 15 of their 21 matches and are still trying to understand the conditions. Over the years, they have shifted between venues like Dharamsala, Pune, Indore and Mohali, so the idea of a fixed “home” is still settling. There has been slight improvement, with four wins in their last seven matches here, but there is still work to do. Sunrisers Hyderabad are also going through a similar phase. They have won only two of their last seven home matches over the past two seasons and are now looking to adjust to conditions in New Chandigarh.
One key player for SRH could be Abhishek Sharma. Born in Punjab, he is familiar with these conditions and has a strong record against PBKS, averaging over 50 with a strike rate close to 200. SRH will rely heavily on him at the top, especially in the absence of Pat Cummins and inconsistent performances from their batting unit.
The two teams have faced each other in 24 matches in the past. While Punjab Kings have just won 7 of them, the Sunrisers Hyderabad have 17 wins to their name.
It was a high-scoring contest when the two sides met each other last time. PBKS played SRH in Hyderabad in IPL 2025. Batting first, Punjab Kings posted 245/6 in 20 overs. Captain Shreyas Iyer top-scored with 82 off 36, a knock decorated with six sixes and as many boundaries.
Harshal Patel picked up four wickets for 42 runs in four overs.
In reply, SRH rode on an emphatic 141 off 55 from opener Abhishek Sharma. Apart from the aggressive left-handed batter, Travis Head also chipped in with 66 off 37 to help the side go over the line in just 18.3 overs and by 8 wickets.
Lockie Ferguson is yet to join the squad. Shreyas Iyer, who was hit on the hand in the opening match, appears to have recovered well.
Pat Cummins has returned home for scans and is expected to be available only in the latter half of the IPL. Meanwhile, Brydon Carse missed the start of the season due to a hand injury suffered in the nets but is gradually recovering.
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Player: Priyansh Arya
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (WK, C), Heinrich Klaasen, Liam Livingstone, Aniket Verma, Nitish Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat
Impact Player: Eshan Malinga
Covering sports for fun. Cricket in whites remains the first love—the kind that teaches patience, rewards nuance, and tells stories over five days rather than five seconds.
The celebrated Vastu Shastra consultant explains the hidden spatial mistakes costing Indian entrepreneurs crores every…
O’Romeo, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, now streams on Amazon Prime Video. Starring Shahid Kapoor and…
Raaka Cast Fees Revealed: Allu Arjun Paid 7 Times More Than Deepika Padukone?
Actor Deepika Padukone is reportedly being paid significantly less than her co-star Allu Arjun for…
