Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings will be desperate to break their two-match losing streak when they take on SunRisers Hyderabad on Wednesday, May 6. Unbeaten till the midway point of the 2026 Indian Premier League season, Punjab suddenly lost momentum and suffered defeats. They’ll be hoping this pre-playoff slump doesn’t degenerate into a mini-crisis.
Punjab and SRH are two of the leading contenders to make it to the playoffs this season. Punjab are currently comfortably on 13 points from nine matches, while SRH are in third place with 12 points from 10 matches. Poor form at this stage could make things difficult for both teams who will be looking to reach the top at the business end of the tournament.
like Punjab SRH’s winning streak was also broken by Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous game. The Hyderabad side faltered with the bat and were bowled out for 165 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. They will hope to brush it off as an off day and get back to their explosive batting. The last time these two sides met, PBKS came out on top after a run-fest. (Photo by Reuters)
First meeting between the two sides earlier this season produced a thriller. SRH got off to a sensational start in Mullanpur, getting to 120 in just eight overs. However, Punjab fought back and restricted them to 219/6 in 20 overs.
An emphatic chase followed with Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh putting on 99 runs. After the openers laid the platform, Iyer took charge with a smooth 69* off 33 balls to seal the chase with seven balls to spare.
Iyer was named man of the match for his captaincy, particularly his decision to hand the ball to shortstop Shashank Singh, who dismissed both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma to spark a crucial turnaround.
Shashank’s fortunes have since declined, and he was eventually dropped after a string of poor catching efforts. However, the SRH clash could present a comeback opportunity, with the finisher likely to work through his issues in training under head coach Ricky Ponting.
Punjab assistant coach Brad Haddin stressed the importance of their aggressive opening pair heading into the match.
“They’ve been one of the reasons we’re sitting at the top of the competition. They’re exciting, they’re talented, but the one thing they’ve given us is a fearless approach at the top of the order. And you have to play that role as the game goes, especially in this tournament. So we don’t have any of the batsmen at the top to be honest,” Haddin said.
SRH head coach Daniel Vettori echoed similar sentiments and stressed the need to break this opening partnership soon.
“That opening combination has been incredibly impressive and they’ve had complementary performances from most of their batting line-up. They’re like us in a lot of ways. They’re very aggressive with the bat and then they just try to mitigate everything they can with the ball. So they’re pretty well-planned and have a good understanding of what they’re going to do. A unit that can deal with the game, high pressure, high pressure really,” Vettori said. Will SRH extract revenge against PBKS? (PTI Photo)
Momentum is a key theme for both teams as they look to avoid a repeat of past disappointments. SRH, who were dominant in 2024, faltered in the playoffs against KKR while Punjab suffered a similar fate last season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
“Anybody can beat anybody on any given day, and sometimes you think you’re out of contention and can come back, and sometimes you think you’re safe, and then those losses can pile up,” Vettori said. “So we’re very confident in ourselves about the importance of this game and we’re going to put in a performance there to hopefully win.”
SRH vs PBKS: TEAM NEWS
Nitish Kumar Reddy missed the match against KKR and is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday. This means that Smaran Ravichandran is likely to step down in the playing eleven.
Similarly, Shashank Singh could return to the squad if he shows fitness and form in training. If he returns, Nehal Wadhera is expected to miss out. PBKS youngster Suryansh Shedge impressed with a steady knock under pressure against Gujarat Titans and is expected to retain his place.
HYDERABAD: PITCH AND WEATHER
Wednesday is expected to be cloudy in Hyderabad. The pitch is likely to be a flat batting surface, although timely assistance to the fast bowlers cannot be ruled out due to overhead conditions.
Hyderabad have witnessed high-scoring night games this season and a total in the region of 220 is expected to be par.
SRH vs PBKS: PREDICTED XI
SRH Predicted XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, Salil Arora, Pat Cummins (c), Harshal Patel, Eshan Malinga, Shivang Kumar
Impact Sub: Saqib Hussain
PBKS Predicted XI: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Impact Sub: Vijay Kumar Vyshak
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
May 6, 2026 09:47 IST
