Punjab Kings chase down 163 in a tense finish, powered by Cooper Connolly’s brilliant knock against Gujarat Titans.
Punjab Kings pulled off a thrilling three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in Match 4 of IPL 2026 at New Chandigarh, chasing down a target of 163 with five balls to spare in a closely fought contest. The victory was anchored by an unbeaten innings from Cooper Connolly, who stood tall under pressure to guide his side home.
Batting first, Gujarat Titans posted a competitive total of 162/6 in their 20 overs. Captain Shubman Gill led the charge with a fluent 39 off 27 balls, while Jos Buttler added a steady 38. Contributions from Glenn Phillips (25) and Washington Sundar (18) helped maintain momentum through the middle overs. However, Gujarat failed to fully capitalize at the death, managing just 18 runs in the last two overs.
Punjab Kings’ bowling unit shared the spoils, with Vijaykumar Vyshak emerging as the standout performer with three wickets. Yuzvendra Chahal also chipped in with two crucial scalps, including the dismissals of Gill and Buttler, which slowed Gujarat’s progress at key moments.
PBKS Starts Off Shaky In The Chase
In reply, Punjab Kings had a shaky start as Priyansh Arya fell early. Prabhsimran Singh injected momentum with a brisk 37, stitching a crucial partnership with Connolly. The Australian all-rounder then took control of the chase, playing a match-winning knock of 72 not out off 44 balls, laced with five fours and five sixes.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals in the middle overs, including captain Shreyas Iyer and Marcus Stoinis in quick succession, Connolly held his nerve. The game remained in the balance until the final overs, but Xavier Bartlett’s quickfire 11* provided the finishing touch as Punjab crossed the line in 19.1 overs.
For Gujarat Titans, Prasidh Krishna impressed with three wickets, while Rashid Khan and Washington Sundar picked up one each. However, their bowlers could not contain Connolly in the latter half of the innings.
With this win, PBKS begin their IPL 2026 campaign on a strong note, while Gujarat Titans will look to bounce back after a hard-fought defeat.
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