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Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 219 for 6 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in New Chandigarh on April 11 with Abhishek Sharma scoring a breathtaking 74 off 28 balls and Travis Head contributing 38 off 23 in a powerplay that produced 105 runs without a wicket.

It looked like a total that would test any side. Punjab Kings came out and made it look routine. Priyansh Arya scored 57 off 20 balls and Prabhsimran Singh scored 51 off 25 as the two openers put on 99 in the powerplay together.

Shreyas Iyer then came in and scored an unbeaten 69 off 33 to finish the chase with 7 balls remaining. Punjab Kings won by 6 wickets chasing 220 and the result was never seriously in doubt after the first six overs.

PBKS vs SRH: Abhishek Sharma's 74 off 28 and Sunrisers' powerplay that set a dangerous total

SRH's innings was built almost entirely on what happened in the first eight overs. Abhishek Sharma walked out and immediately took the PBKS bowling apart. He reached his fifty off just 18 balls with five fours and five sixes and by the end of the powerplay SRH were 105 for 0 with Sharma on 66 and Head on 31.

The hundred partnership came up in just 36 balls. Sharma was eventually caught by Arshdeep Singh off Shashank Singh for 74 off 28 balls at a strike rate of 264 in the eighth over and Head followed two balls later caught by Bartlett off the same bowler for 38. Both gone in the same over with the score at 122 for 2 after the carnage of the powerplay.

Ishan Kishan scored 27 off 17 and Heinrich Klaasen made 39 off 33 but the middle overs slowed significantly with Shashank Singh taking 2 for 20 from three overs as the most economical bowler in the attack. Aniket Verma's 18 off 9 and Salil Arora's 9 off 8 added late runs and SRH finished on 219 for 6, a total built almost entirely on that opening burst.

PBKS vs SRH: Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran's 99-run powerplay and how Punjab made the chase look simple

Punjab Kings needed someone to match SRH's powerplay aggression and the opening pair delivered something that went beyond matching it.

Priyansh Arya scored 57 off 20 balls with five fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 285. He reached his fifty off just 16 balls. Prabhsimran Singh scored 51 off 25 balls with four fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 204.

Together they put on 99 in the powerplay without being separated with PBKS reaching 93 for 0 at the six-over mark. Both fell in quick succession shortly after, Arya caught off Shivang Kumar for 57 in the seventh over and Singh caught off the same bowler for 51 in the ninth over.

Cooper Connolly fell for 11 in the 11th over also off Shivang Kumar who finished with 3 for 33 from four overs as the most effective SRH bowler. But by then the required rate had been reduced so significantly that PBKS were in total control.

Also READ: IPL 2026: What's going wrong for PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh early on in the powerplay?

PBKS vs SRH: Shreyas Iyer's unbeaten 69 and the finish that never got tense

Shreyas Iyer walked in at 128 for 3 and batted with the authority of a captain who knew exactly what the situation required. Shreyas Iyer scored 69 not out off 33 balls with five fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 209 and put on 69 runs with Nehal Wadhera who came in as Impact Player in the 11th over and scored 14 off 14 before being bowled by Harsh Dubey.

Shreyas Iyer passed his fifty off 24 balls and by the time he got there the match was finished as a contest. Shashank Singh came in and scored an unbeaten 16 off 9 to help close the game out in the 19th over.

PBKS reached 223 for 4 in 18.5 overs winning by 6 wickets with 7 balls to spare. Shivang Kumar was SRH's best bowler with 3 for 33 but the total of 219 was never going to be enough against a Punjab Kings batting lineup in this kind of form. Shreyas Iyer was named Player of the Match.