Punjab Kings won the toss and decided to bowl first against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 17th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium. Punjab Kings have maintained their team lineup, while Sunrisers Hyderabad has made changes by excluding Liam Livingston and Jaydev Unadkat. Praful Hinge is set to make his debut, and Salil Arora returns to the playing XI.
Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings have had a strong start to the season, winning their first three matches. They defeated the Gujarat Titans by three wickets and the Chennai Super Kings by five wickets. However, their match against the Kolkata Knight Riders was abandoned due to rain.
On the contrary, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s performance has been inconsistent. They started with a six-wicket loss to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, then secured a 65-run win against Kolkata, but are now coming off a five-wicket defeat to the Lucknow Super Giants.
After winning the toss, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer mentioned, “We’re going to bowl first. It’s a day game, and we want to understand the pitch conditions. We believe in our approach and want to continue with the same team.” He emphasized the importance of supporting the young players and letting them express themselves freely on the field.
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Ishan Kishan expressed his disappointment at losing the toss, stating, “We would have preferred to bowl first. However, we need to focus on playing good cricket in the first innings. We have made two changes in the team, with Salil Arora and Praful Hinge coming in for Liam Livingston and Jaydev Unadkat, respectively.”
