Punjab Kings secured an exciting 3-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in Match 4 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
Chasing a target of 163 runs, PBKS reached 165/7 in 19.1 overs, thanks to a superb unbeaten knock from Cooper Connolly, who anchored the chase with a brilliant 72 off 44 balls.
Match Summary
| Match | PBKS vs GT – Match 4 |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Venue | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur |
| Result | Punjab Kings won by 3 wickets |
| GT Score | 162/6 (20 overs) |
| PBKS Score | 165/7 (19.1 overs) |
| Toss | Punjab Kings won the toss and chose to bowl |
Gujarat Titans Post Competitive 162/6
After being put in to bat, Gujarat Titans built a steady total of 162/6 in 20 overs.
Captain Shubman Gill played a fluent innings of 39 off 27 balls, while Jos Buttler added 38 runs from 33 deliveries. Middle-order batter Glenn Phillips chipped in with 25 off 17 balls, helping GT maintain a decent scoring rate.
Despite a strong platform, Gujarat could not fully capitalize in the final overs.
Gujarat Titans Top Batting Performances
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | 39 | 27 | 6 | 0 |
| Jos Buttler | 38 | 33 | 3 | 2 |
| Glenn Phillips | 25 | 17 | 1 | 1 |
| Washington Sundar | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 |
Punjab Kings Bowlers
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vijaykumar Vyshak | 4 | 34 | 3 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 4 | 28 | 2 |
| Marco Jansen | 4 | 20 | 1 |
Vyshak’s three wickets in the middle overs slowed Gujarat’s scoring momentum, while Chahal removed Gill and Buttler, two key wickets for PBKS.
Cooper Connolly Leads Punjab Kings Chase
Punjab Kings began their chase cautiously but lost early wicket Priyansh Arya.
However, Prabhsimran Singh attacked early and scored 37 off 24 balls, giving PBKS momentum during the powerplay.
The highlight of the chase came from Cooper Connolly, who played a composed yet aggressive innings. His 72 not out off 44 balls, including 5 fours and 5 sixes, kept Punjab Kings on track throughout the chase.
Punjab Kings Batting
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Connolly | 72* | 44 | 5 | 5 |
| Prabhsimran Singh | 37 | 24 | 1 | 4 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 18 | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| Xavier Bartlett | 11* | 5 | 0 | 1 |
Even after losing wickets in the middle overs, Connolly held his nerve and guided PBKS to victory with support from Xavier Bartlett, who finished the match in style.
Gujarat Titans Bowling Effort
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prasidh Krishna | 4 | 29 | 3 |
| Rashid Khan | 4 | 29 | 1 |
| Washington Sundar | 3.1 | 27 | 1 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 3 | 34 | 1 |
Prasidh Krishna was the most successful GT bowler with 3 wickets, but Punjab’s steady middle-order batting ensured the target was eventually chased.
Key Moments of the Match
• PBKS chose to bowl first after winning the toss.
• Gujarat Titans reached 162/6, with contributions from Gill and Buttler.
• Vijaykumar Vyshak’s three-wicket spell kept GT below a bigger total.
• Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten 72 turned the match in PBKS’s favour.
• Punjab Kings completed the chase with five balls remaining.
Squads
Punjab Kings Playing XI
Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Gujarat Titans Playing XI
Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj
Match Officials
| Role | Official |
|---|---|
| On-field Umpires | Abhijit Bhattacharya, Akshay Totre |
| Third Umpire | KN Anantha Padmanabhan |
| Match Referee | Prakash Bhatt |
Conclusion
Punjab Kings started their IPL 2026 campaign with an important win, successfully chasing 163 runs in a tense finish.
The star of the match was Cooper Connolly, whose unbeaten 72 runs guided PBKS to victory. With contributions from Prabhsimran Singh and a strong bowling performance earlier in the match, Punjab Kings showed balance and composure to defeat Gujarat Titans by 3 wickets.
