Last Updated on 3 minutes ago by Charbel Coorey

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Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 49th game of IPL 2026. Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, will host this match on 6th May 2026 at 7:30 PM IST. Punjab defeated SRH by 6 wickets in their first encounter earlier this season.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are 3rd in the table with 6 wins in 10 matches. They lost their last game after winning 5 matches on the trot. The batters failed to get going, which was the main reason for their loss. It was a law of averages game for the Sunrisers, as they’ve been in terrific form as a team lately. Travis Head has regained his touch in the last two games while Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, and Heinrich Klaasen have done well. 

Bowling is an area where they have to improve, especially the spin department. Eshan Malinga has been brilliant, and Pat Cummins, alongside Sakib Hussain, has done well as the pace battery. They played Harshal Patel in the last match, and he bowled well. Shivang Kumar has been impressive, but perhaps SRH hasn’t backed him like they should’ve. Overall, they’ve been in great form as a side and should challenge the table toppers in this game.

Meanwhile, after a strong start to the tournament, the Punjab Kings have now lost two matches on the bounce. They lost to the Guajrat Titans by 4 wickets in their last match. The top order collapsed as they were 47-5 at 9 overs, but Suryansh Shedge (57 runs) and Marcus Stoinis (40 runs) helped them reach a fighting total of 163 runs. 

Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, and Shreyas Iyer failed to get going, but contributions from Shedge and Stoinis will be big positives for the Kings. They have great depth and quality in batting, and the batters have been in terrific form as well. 

Bowling is the main area of concern for Iyer & Co., as the bowlers have leaked runs at a high economy rate and have failed to contain the batters. Arsdheep Singh (10.38), Vijay Kumar Vyshak (10.41), and Xavier Bartlett (11.29) have an economy of over 10, and they are three key bowlers for their teams. Yuzvendra Chahal has also failed to pick up wickets, which has further worsened things for Punjab with the ball. PBKS needs the bowling group to complement the batters if they are to do well going ahead in the tournament.

IPL 2026 49th Match: SRH vs PBKS Probable Playing XIIs

Nitish Kumar Reddy should be available for this match.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1. Travis Head, 2. Abhishek Sharma, 3. Ishan Kishan (c & wk), 4. Heinrich Klaasen, 5. Nitish Kumar Reddy, 6. Salil Arora, 7. Aniket Verma, 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Shivang Kumar, 10. Harshal Patel, 11. Eshan Malinga, 12. Sakib Hussain

The Punjab Kings are expected to be unchanged, but there’s an outside chance of Lockie Ferguson replacing Xavier Bartlett.

Punjab Kings: 1. Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 2. Priyansh Arya, 3. Cooper Connolly, 4. Shreyas Iyer (c), 5. Nehal Wadhera, 6. Suryansh Shedge, 7. Marcus Stoinis, 8. Marco Jansen, 9. Lockie Ferguson, 10. Arshdeep Singh, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal, 12. Vijaykumar Vyshak

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium Hyderabad Pitch Report and Weather

The last game here had a lot of grip and turn for the spinners, but it was a day game, and such pitches don’t suit the home side’s playing style, so expect a better batting wicket for this match. The average first innings score here is 194 runs, and chasing sides have won 3 of the 5 matches played here. 

The ball will come onto the bat nicely, and there will be some movement for the pacers, and they can get some assistance with their cutters when bowled into the wickets, but overall, a good batting pitch is expected where the batters will enjoy their time on the crease. Teams will prefer chasing. 

The temperature will be around 30 degrees Celsius with 50% humidity, but it’s predicted to be cloudy during the game, so dew may not be an issue.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for SRH vs PBKS: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top Wicket-Keeper Picks:  

• Ishan Kishan has 354 runs in 10 matches with 3 fifties. His strike rate this season is 189.30. Kishan looked in good touch for his 42 runs in the last game, but a big knock is due from him, and it might be in this game only. He will be an excellent C/VC choice. 
• Heinrich Klaasen saw a rare failure in the last game, as he’s been the backbone for SRH’s batting. Klaasen is in exceptional touch and can play as per the situation. He’s excellent against spin and will be another top C/VC choice, especially while batting first.
• Prabhsimran Singh has 4 fifties in 8 innings this season for his 361 runs at an average of 51.57 and has struck at a rate of 174.39. He’s been super consistent at the top for Punjab, and he had scored 51 in the first meeting against SRH earlier this season. He’s another great C/VC pick.

Key batter picks: 

• Abhishek Sharma has 440 runs in 10 matches at an average of 48.88 at a strike rate of 206.57 with one century and 3 fifties. He’s been very consistent despite his aggressive approach at the top and has scored big whenever he’s got going. Abhishek bowled 2 overs in the last match. He’ll be an ideal C/VC option.
• Travis Head’s last two scores are 61 and 76 runs. He’s found his groove in the last two games, which is a great sign for SRH. He scored 61 off just 28 on a tricky wicket in the last match. Head will exploit the field restrictions and can take the game away in the first six overs itself. You should back your fantasy teams for this match.
• Priyansh Arya has failed in the last two matches, and he’ll be itching for a big score in this match. He attacks from the first ball and just keeps on attacking. He has a strike rate of 247.82 this season at an average of 35.62 for 285 runs. Arya scored 57 off just 20 in the first meeting against SRH. Priyansh will be a top differential C/VC.
• Shreyas Iyer also failed in the last game, but he has done a great job at number 4 for his team. He has 328 runs with 4 fifties in 8 innings and averages 54.66 at a strike rate of 165.65. Iyer scored 69* off just 33 to see his side over the line when these two sides met earlier this season. He’ll be eager to do well in this match and will be an excellent C/VC option.

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Cooper Connolly is another impressive batter from Punjab. He has sealed his spot at number 3 with crucial contributions with the bat till now. Connolly is excellent against the spinners, and he likes to hit sixes. He can be lethal on this day and will be a must in your fantasy teams.
• Marcus Stoinis has been brilliant with whatever opportunities he’s got to bat this season. He is averaging 50 at a strike rate of 189.87. Stoinis also bowled in the last game and picked up a wicket as well. He’ll be another must-have in fantasy cricket.

Key bowler picks:   

• Eshan Malinga has 15 wickets to his name in 10 matches so far. He is the main bowler for SRH, bowling at every phase of the match. Malinga has bowled smartly and has used the conditions well. You can’t miss out on him in your fantasy teams.

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Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Nitish Kumar Reddy
• Pat Cummins
• Sakib Hussain
• Suryansh Shedge (bat first)
• Yuzvendra Chahal

Other Matchups and Facts 

• Head-to-Head: 25 matches; SRH 17 and PBKS 8. 
• Ishan Kishan vs. Yuzvendra Chahal (T20s): 57 runs and 3 dismissals in 34 deliveries.
• Travis Head vs. Arshdeep Singh (T20s): 24 runs and 2 dismissals in 20 deliveries.
• Ishan Kishan vs. Arshdeep Singh (T20s): 39 runs and 4 dismissals in 21 deliveries. 
• Shreyas Iyer vs. Harshal Patel (T20s): 34 runs and 3 dismissals in 19 deliveries. 
• Marcus Stoinis vs. Harshal Patel (T20s): 28 runs and 2 dismissals in 18 deliveries.

IPL 2026 49th Match: SRH vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today

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Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

IPL 2026 49th Match: SRH vs PBKS Match Prediction: Who will win?

Both teams are looking good and are coming off a hard defeat in their last respective matches. Both sides have an explosive batting unit with insane depth and quality. But bowling is where the game will be decided, as Punjab have really struggled with the ball, and SRH too have been ordinary apart from one odd match. Toss will play a key role, as both sides will look to chase with batting as their strong suit.

Sunrisers Hyderabad to win.

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