Sunrisers Hyderabad climbed to the top of the IPL 2026 points table after a commanding 33-run victory over Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. SRH piled up a massive 235/4 before restricting Punjab to 202/7, handing the visitors their third consecutive defeat after an unbeaten start to the season.

Punjab’s recent struggles have coincided with a dip in form for opener Priyansh Arya, who has found it difficult against short-pitched bowling in recent matches. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting could play a crucial role in helping the youngster overcome his technical flaws.

“I wouldn’t mess with the batting order immediately despite Priyansh’s issues with the short ball, as he stands a bit too still. When the ball comes in, he tries to lift it over the front and has been dismissed that way a few times,” Ravichanran Ashwin explained. “And bowlers like Cummins can trouble him with angle, bounce and pace,” he added.

ALSO READ: ‘He Might Retire by 21’ – Michael Vaughan Reacts To Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Rise

Ashwin, however, backed Ponting to guide the youngster through the rough patch. “But the master of the pull shot, Ponting, can definitely help him with the technical and tactical nuances of handling short-pitched bowling,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.

Asked to bat first, SRH got off to a blazing start through openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. Abhishek smashed 35 off just 13 deliveries before falling to Lockie Ferguson, while Head hammered 38 off 19 balls before Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed him.

The innings was then powered forward by Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen. Kishan blasted 55 off 32 deliveries, while Klaasen continued his sensational season with 69 off 43 balls. Nitish Kumar Reddy added a late unbeaten 29 off just 13 balls to push SRH to a daunting total.

ALSO READ: BCCI Reveals India A vs Australia A Schedule Featuring Four-Day Tests

Punjab’s chase never really recovered after early blows from Pat Cummins and Nitish Kumar Reddy reduced them to 4/2. Captain Shreyas Iyer also departed cheaply, leaving PBKS in deep trouble. Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly fought a lone battle with a magnificent unbeaten 107, registering his maiden IPL century. However, with little support from the other end, Punjab eventually finished on 202/7 as SRH sealed a dominant win to strengthen their playoff push.