Sunrisers Hyderabad - (Source: AFP)
On Wednesday, May 6, Sunrisers Hyderabad will host Punjab Kings for IPL 2026 match 49. The two teams will square off at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. It will be an interesting tie for both teams as they are fighting to stay in the top 2 of the points table.
Notably, Punjab Kings have hit a roadblock as the Shreyas Iyer-led side are fresh off a couple of defeats and are on top of the table with 13 points in 9 innings. On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad are 3rd on the table with 12 points in 10 matches. Therefore, if SRH win, then the Men in Orange can go to the top of the table.
SRH vs PBKS Preview
Punjab Kings are likely to make a few changes as their bowling unit has been underwhelming in the entire tournament. Among the batters, Nehal Wadhera is out of touch, and there is a big question about his place in the team going forward.
For Sunrisers Hyderabad, they are also coming after a defeat and were without Nitish Kumar Reddy in their last match against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, for the upcoming match, SRH’s star bowler Nitish Kumar Reddy will return to the team, as confirmed by Daniel Vettori.
Therefore, ahead of the upcoming match, this article will shed light on SRH’s strongest playing XI vs PBKS for IPL 2026 match 49.
SRH Likely Playing XI vs PBKS- Match 49
Openers and Top Order (Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan)
Sunrisers Hyderabad have the most destructive top-order in the IPL. Travis Head was the only one out of the three who was not among runs, but the Australian opener has now slammed two back-to-back fifties.
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Head has amassed 323 runs in 10 innings, averaging 32.30. Further, Abhishek Sharma needs no introduction as the southpaw is the current orange cap holder with 440 runs in 10 innings.
Ishan Kishan is also among the leading run-getters and has scored 354 runs in 10 innings.
Middle Order and All Rounders (Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma)
Heinrich Klaasen will bat at No. 4 as he is SRH’s 2nd leading run-getter in IPL 2026. Klaasen has amassed 425 runs in 10 innings, and one more good knock and he bags the orange cap for himself.
Rest, SRH has received a boost in the form of Nitish Kumar Reddy. The star all-rounder missed the last match, but he will return to the playing XI, replacing Smaran Ravichandran, who failed to impress on his IPL debut.
Salil Arora and Aniket Verma’s consistency is a big problem for Sunrisers Hyderabad but the franchise would look to give them one more opportunity before looking at other options.
Bowlers (Pat Cummins, Eshan Malinga, Shivang Kumar, Sakib Hussain)
Among the bowlers, Pat Cummins will lead the team and he will be there. The Australia international was bit expensive in the last match, but he will be there. Further, Eshan Malinga has been their best bowler of the tournament with 15 wickets in 10 innings.
The Men in Orange might make one change in the bowling, which is to bring in Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge, leaving Harshal Patel out of the playing XI.
SRH Strongest Playing XI vs PBKS- Match 49, IPL 2026
Abhishek Sharma
Travis Head
Ishan Kishan (WK)
Heinrich Klaasen
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Salil Arora
Aniket Verma
Pat Cummins (C)
Eshan Malinga
Shivang Kumar
Sakib Hussain
SRH vs PBKS Impact Player Options
SRH Impact subs: Praful Hinge, Liam Livingstone, Smaran Ravichandran
Also Read: Nehal Wadhera OUT? PBKS Strongest XI vs SRH- IPL 2026, Match 49
