Connolly century in vain as Klaasen, Kishan power Hyderabad to top spot

A dominant batting display followed by a disciplined bowling effort saw Sunrisers Hyderabad secure a convincing 33-run victory over Punjab Kings in a top-of-the-table Indian Premier League (IPL) clash in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Opting to bat first, the Hyderabad top order fired in unison to post a mammoth 235 for four. Heinrich Klaasen led the charge with a blistering 69, while Ishan Kishan provided a solid 55. Openers Abhishek Sharma (35) and Travis Head (38) set the tone early, punishing a Punjab attack that struggled for rhythm. Marco Jansen was particularly expensive, leaking 61 runs in his four wicketless overs.

In reply, Punjab’s chase was derailed almost immediately as they slumped to 23 for three. While Cooper Connolly, batting at one-down, played a lone, heroic hand with a magnificent unbeaten 107, but he found little support from the other end.

Skipper Pat Cummins led from the front with the ball, picking up two for 34, while Shivang Kumar also claimed a brace to ensure Punjab were restricted to 202 for seven. 

Despite Connolly’s century, the asking rate proved too steep as Hyderabad maintained their grip on the contest to bag two crucial points.

The win moved Hyderabad to 14 points from 11 matches, leapfrogging Punjab, who sit on 13 points with a game in hand.