Punjab Kings pulled off a tense chase to defeat Gujarat Titans by 3 wickets in Match 4 of the IPL 2026, successfully hunting down a target of 163 with five balls to spare in a game that ebbed and flowed till the very end.
After being put in to bat, Gujarat Titans posted a total of 162/6 in their 20 overs, thanks to solid contributions throughout the batting order. Captain Shubman Gill led from the front with a fluent 39 off 27 balls, striking six boundaries and setting the tone early. He was well supported by Jos Buttler, who scored 38 off 33 deliveries, including two sixes.
Glenn Phillips added impetus in the middle overs with a quickfire 25 off 17 balls, while Washington Sundar chipped in with a handy 18. Despite a steady platform, Gujarat couldn’t fully capitalize in the death overs, with Punjab’s bowlers pulling things back effectively. Rahul Tewatia remained unbeaten on 11, but the Titans fell slightly short of a bigger total.
In response, Punjab Kings had a shaky start, losing early wickets including Priyansh Arya and putting pressure on the middle order. However, Prabhsimran Singh counterattacked with an aggressive 37 off just 24 balls, smashing four sixes to keep the chase alive.
The turning point came through a brilliant innings from Cooper Connolly, who anchored the chase with an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls, showcasing composure and power under pressure. His innings, laced with five fours and five sixes, kept Punjab in control despite wickets falling at the other end.
Captain Shreyas Iyer contributed 18 runs, while late cameos from Marco Jansen (9) and Xavier Bartlett, who remained unbeaten on 11 off just 5 balls, proved crucial in finishing the game.
Gujarat’s bowlers, particularly Prasidh Krishna, tried to keep them in the contest with multiple wickets, but couldn’t stop Punjab’s late surge. Despite disciplined spells from the likes of Rashid Khan and Washington Sundar, the target proved just within reach.
Punjab Kings eventually finished at 165/7 in 19.1 overs, sealing a thrilling win and kickstarting their IPL 2026 campaign on a high note.
