Punjab Kings suffered a 33-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a high-scoring encounter at Hyderabad on Wednesday night. The result marked PBKS’ third consecutive loss of the season, though the side remains second on the points table with 13 points.

After being asked to bat first, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a challenging 235/4, leaving Punjab Kings with a steep chase.

PBKS lost early wickets inside the powerplay before Marcus Stoinis provided momentum with a quick counterattack. With the asking rate climbing, Cooper Connolly stepped up with a sensational innings that nearly turned the game around.

The young Australian smashed an unbeaten 107 off 59 deliveries to register his maiden T20 century and first hundred for Punjab Kings. Combining composure with clean ball-striking, Connolly kept PBKS in contention deep into the chase and brought up his century in memorable fashion.

In the process, Connolly also became the youngest overseas batter to score a century in IPL history, adding another milestone to his breakthrough campaign.

Despite the result, Connolly’s outstanding century and the fight shown in the chase provide positives as Punjab Kings head into the final phase of the league stage.