Ishan Kishan appeared to throw a light-hearted jab at Punjab Kings after Sunrisers Hyderabad claimed a commanding 33-run win in IPL 2026. Kishan struck a quickfire 55 off 32 balls, yet Punjab’s fielding mistakes gave him several chances to stay in the contest before SRH went on to post and defend a hefty total.
Key takeaways
- SRH beat Punjab Kings by 33 runs in their IPL 2026 meeting.
- Ishan Kishan scored 55 off 32 balls, benefiting from three dropped chances.
- Sunrisers Hyderabad piled up 235/4 in their 20 overs after being put into bat.
- Punjab Kings managed 202/7 in reply, falling short despite a determined chase.
- After the match, Kishan shared an Instagram post saying, “Catch me, if you can”.
How Punjab handed SRH extra life
During Kishan’s innings, Punjab missed key moments that could have shortened SRH’s charge. In the 7.1 over, Cooper Connolly dropped a routine catch at deep backward square off Lockie Ferguson when Kishan was on 9.
Then in the 11th over, Ferguson again failed to convert at deep midwicket off Yuzvendra Chahal with Kishan moving to 18. In the same over, wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh also couldn’t complete a stumping chance against the SRH batter.
Those fielding lapses were costly as SRH went on to put together a huge total, reaching 235/4 within 20 overs. In reply, Punjab Kings were restricted to 202/7, unable to bridge the gap despite showing fight.
Kishan’s post-match dig and the full match story
After the result, Kishan added salt to the wound with a viral Instagram upload. The SRH wicketkeeper posted game pictures and captioned it: “Catch me, if you can,” a playful reference to the multiple opportunities Punjab failed to take.
Earlier, SRH’s win came through a dominant all-round display in a high-scoring IPL 2026 clash, even though the Hyderabad surface was not quite the perfect batting track many expected. After losing the toss, the hosts made the most of the conditions as Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen drove the innings forward to 235/4.
Kishan’s 55 came off 32 deliveries, while Klaasen provided the backbone with an impressive 69 off 43 balls. Punjab’s misfields and missed chances—Kishan dropped twice and Klaasen also spared early—allowed SRH to capitalize after a brisk powerplay that brought them to 79/1.
On the defensive side, Pat Cummins stood out with impact using both bat and ball, and with sharp fielding during the chase. SRH reduced Punjab to 23/3 inside the first four overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy struck early, removing Prabhsimran Singh, and Eshan Malinga then dismissed captain Shreyas Iyer, with Cummins taking quick catches at mid-off.
Although Cooper Connolly battled on with an unbeaten 107 off 59 balls, Punjab never truly gained momentum. Brief hope returned through partnerships involving Marcus Stoinis and Suryansh Shedge, but SRH regained control through disciplined bowling and timely breakthroughs led by Cummins and spinner Shivam Singh.
In the end, Punjab Kings finished on 202/7, ending their chase 33 runs short. With the win, Sunrisers Hyderabad climbed to the top of the IPL 2026 points table.
