Published: Apr 01, 2026, 01:26 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 01, 2026, 01:26 PM (IST)
The Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans did not get the start they would have wanted in IPL 2026. Facing Punjab Kings in an away match in New Chandigarh on Tuesday, GT managed 162/6 in 20 overs. The target was chased down by PBKS in 19.1 overs.
Shubman Gill (39 off 27 balls) was the top-scorer for GT, with Jos Buttler contributing 38 off 33 balls. The match also saw GT batter Rahul Tewatia fail the BCCI’s gauge test for oversized bats. The gauge test was introduced to prevent players from using bats that are larger than the prescribed dimensions.
In a post on X, Mithun Manhas shared glimpses of the match, where he was also present and took part in the post-match presentation. He praised Punjab Kings for their first win at home and expressed confidence that Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans would bounce back strongly.
“Many congratulations to @PunjabKingsIPL for their first win at their home ground. @gujarat_titans are a formidable unit, and I am sure they will bounce back strongly,” he wrote on X.
Talking about the match, Cooper Connolly slammed a fine unbeaten fifty as Punjab Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by three wickets in their opening Indian Premier League match on Tuesday.
A disciplined bowling effort helped PBKS restrict former champions GT to 162 for six, with Vijaykumar Vyshak (3/34), Yuzvendra Chahal (2/28) and Marco Jansen (1/20) sharing the wickets after PBKS opted to bowl.
For GT, skipper Shubman Gill (39), Jos Buttler (38), Glenn Phillips (25) and Washington Sundar (18) scored the bulk of the runs.
In reply, PBKS reached the target in 19.1 overs, with Connolly (72 not out off 44 balls) emerging as the highest scorer.
Prasidh Krishna (3/29), Rashid Khan (1/29) and Washington Sundar (1/27) were among the wicket-takers for GT.
Brief Scores
Gujarat Titans: 162/6 in 20 overs
(Shubman Gill 39; Vijaykumar Vyshak 3/34, Yuzvendra Chahal 2/28)
Punjab Kings: 165/7 in 19.1 overs
(Cooper Connolly 72; Prasidh Krishna 3/29)
Result: Punjab Kings won by 3 wickets
Punjab Kings got off to a winning start in IPL 2026 with a hard-fought three-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans. Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten fifty and a disciplined bowling performance were the highlights for PBKS, while GT will look to improve after a below-par batting display.
