Live report - PBKS vs SRH - Reddy overpowers Ashutosh, Shashank heroics

Three catches were dropped in the final over bowled by Unadkat. Two of them went for sixes. The last ball was sent out of Punjab by Shashank Sharma. But PBKS still fell short. To top it all up, they had dropped Unadkat off the final ball of SRH's innings, and the ball went for six.

Against GT, Shashank had walked in at 70 for 4 in the ninth over when PBKS were in pursuit of 200. He finished unbeaten on 61 from 29 balls, during which he made Rashid Khan and his mates look ordinary. He called himself "best in the world" after that knock, which gave him a place in every Indian's home.

Tonight, against SRH, he walks in with the require rate near 12 an over, with almost 11 overs left. Shashank is currently on 33 from 19 balls, having got lucky against Bhuvneshwar, before drilling and slashing him for four.

The pitch at Mullanpur has been true, and the pace on it has been fair. Thirty-five overs into play, all 14 wickets on the day have gone to pace. Pace bowlers have gone at 7.41 runs an over, while spinners have been smashed for 11.80. In fact, only five of the 35 overs so far have been bowled by spinners.

Not with the ball, but in the field. Having stationed himself at mid-off, he grabs a great catch. For a moment, the ball slammed back by Sam Curran seemed to be going over even someone as tall as Cummins. But it couldn't dare to. Cummins flung himself across to his left full stretch, and took it over his head to break what seemed to be heading towards a threatening stand.

PBKS have to rebuild again, and here comes Shashank Singh, the man on whom lies all the spotlight.

Until today, the SRH bowlers averaged 31.28 in the powerplay this season. That was the second-best among all teams. Today, they reduce PBKS to 27 for 3 in that phase, and get that average down to 24.60. Moreover, that gave SRH an 88.15% chance of victory as per ESPNcricinfo's forecaster. PBKS could have a lot of chasing to do - in every sense of the term!

SRH had the wicketkeeper Klaasen come up to the stumps to Bhuvneshwar after the first ball of the fifth over. Samad, the man at slip, stayed back at a deepish position. Dhawan went driving at this length ball angling across, and got an outside edge, only for Samad to put down a sitter, and the ball running away for four to deep third.

Two balls later, Dhawan decides to take a risk. He skips down with the keeper up, and Bhuvneshwar pulls his length back to go on the shorter side. The ball moves away and ends around sixth stump, as Dhawan looks to drive but misses. Klaasen stumps the PBKS captain. SRH's third wicket in the powerplay.

A bit of an Ashes rivalry at the IPL. Cummins sets up Bairstow. He bowls back of a length, and a bit wide of off on the third ball of the second over. Bairstow flashes away from his body, and is beaten.

Next ball, Cummins goes on the slightly shorter side of a length bang on off, and Bairstow misses his attempted pull to be cleaned up by that 141kph ball. Before today, Cummins had already got Bairstow twice in three innings in the IPL.

Meanwhile, that wicket has prompted PBKS to bring in Prabhsimran Singh as Impact Sub, as they replace Arshdeep. But Prabhsimran lasts all of six balls, which included a swat over mid-on for four. Bhuvneshwar then ends the third over by having the batter balloon a leading edge to point, where Reddy turns around and nabs the ball.

"Nooooo!", screams Sam Curran behind his covered face, as SRH's No. 11 Jaydev Unadkat has a heave at a length ball, and Harshal Patel at long-on drops it. What's more, the ball pops out of his hands, and lands outside the field of play.

But is 182 enough? Arshdeep, at the innings break, says there was a bit of movement initially, before some dew came into play. But the pitch looks flat and nice for scoring. In the only IPL match at Mullanpur earlier this season, PBKS chased down 175 against DC.

Two wickets in an over for Arshdeep just when SRH seemed set for a massive total. He went far and wide outside off to Abdul Samad, who ended up flashing to deep point. Then came some luck. Seeing Reddy was sitting deep in the crease, Arshdeep angled one across but it turned out to be a full toss slightly wide of off. Never mind, Reddy still found long-off.

Before tonight, Arshdeep had only one wicket in 20 balls in the death overs this season. His economy rate was 11.70. And tonight, the 17th over goes for only six runs and gives him two wickets. This could be the reason for his confidence:

Reverse sweep for four, and a hoick over wide long-on for six. That is how Reddy starts the 15th over, which is bowled by Harpreet Brar. That first six takes him to fifty, and at 20 years and 319 days, makes him the second-youngest batter to score a fifty for SRH in the IPL, after Priyam Garg did it aged 19 years and 307 days in 2020.

Reddy is dropped next ball by Shashank at deep midwicket, and the ball after that flies over long-off. SRH picking up pace.

Nitish Kumar Reddy is only 20 years old, and had played just eight T20s before today. In his one and only game this IPL season, he hit Ravindra Jadeja for a four, and finished off the chase against CSK with a six. Today, he is the only SRH batter standing. From 14 off 18 balls at one stage, he has motored away to 40 from 28 so far (no jinx intended!).

Out of three sixes until now, one each have come off Rabada and Curran. Rabada was pulled over long leg, and Curran clubbed over deep square.

PBKS had failed to review when Head had edged behind off the first ball of the day. But not this time. Harshal banged in a bouncer outside off, which lifted close to Tripathi's head. The latter went ramping, and a late review from Dhawan showed a faint edge. Decision Redemption System!

Our statsman Sampath pokes me: Arshdeep Singh had a forgettable IPL 2023, where he conceded at 10.31 runs per over across the 22 overs in the powerplay, with only six wickets. It is the worst economy recorded by any bowler during the powerplay in an IPL season for a minimum of 15 overs.

He has made a steady start this year, with four wickets in the ten powerplay overs bowled. Only Trent Boult (5) has taken more powerplay wickets than him this season so far. Arshdeep's economy rate this year in the powerplay is 7.50, the third-best among the 11 bowlers to have bowled 50-plus balls.

Positioned at cover-point, Shashank Singh goes low to pouch Abhishek Sharma. The ball was dying on to the fielder, who took it just above the ground. After cracking a glorious six over cover, and chipping over mid-on for four, Abhishek backed away and slashed at Sam Curran's short-of-a-length ball outside off. But beaten by the slower ball, Abhishek ends up mistiming it.

As a result, SRH bring in Rahul Tripathi as Impact Sub for Travis Head. The IPL never fails to surprise. We are into unfamiliar territory in Mullanpur - literally!

He had four wickets in as many games so far this season. Two of them had come in the powerplay. Tonight he has doubled that powerplay number already.

But Arshdeep needed some help from his captain Shikhar Dhawan to get Head, inviting the slap-the-thigh celebration from Dhawan. Standing at mid-off, he turned 180 degrees to his right and back-pedalled. The ball, sent high into the night by Head, dropped close to Dhawan's right shoulder. The PBKS captain did well to keep his eye on the ball all along, and gobble it. Head gone after slamming four fours in his innings of 21.

Two balls later, Aiden Markram tickles one to the keeper. His first ball was swinging away, as he pushed to cover. Next delivery, Arshdeep pulled his length back, and angled it across. Markram ended up edging behind. SRH, for a change, seem to be jolted early.

This is the first over of the day. The first ball from Rabada to Head, on a length, shapes in and beats Head, who closes his bat face. No one other than wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma reacts.

The second ball stays low. The third one is flung high over slip. Next delivery, Head looks clueless after one zips through to go past his bat. And it is just after that ball that some salt is rubbed into PBKS' wounds. Replays show there was a little nick on the first ball. So Head was gone had PBKS reviewed.

That is the highest among all sides so far in IPL 2024. Their run rate of 11.67 during that phase is also the most. Never in doubt that Head and Abhishek have drilled a lot of fear into bowling line-ups.

PBKS' new-ball bowler Kagiso Rabada has been expensive too. Bowling in the first innings in the last two years, his economy rate has been 9.6.

PBKS bowl first. A mini-roar from the crowd, and a screeching noise from the mic blur Dhawan's voice. He says Livingstone "is still recovering".

Cummins would have bowled first too (does it really matter to his batters?!).

Slightly skewed square boundaries tonight: 63m to one side, and 70m to the other. 72m hit straight down the ground, with the shortest and longest pocket being 56m and 75m, respectively.

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh
Impact Subs: Prabhsimran Singh, Nathan Ellis, Tanay Thyagarajan, Rahul Chahar and Rishi Dhawan

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abdul Samad, Pat Cummins (capt), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Jaydev Unadkat
Impact Subs: Umran Malik, Mayank Markande, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips and Rahul Tripathi