Punjab Kings Edge Gujarat Titans In Tricky 163-Run Chase

IPL 2026 PBKS vs GT: Shreyas Iyer, captain of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) won the toss and chose to bowl first against Gujarat Titans (GT) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash. Having started strong, Shubman Gill’s side looked to be on course for a big total. However, regular wickets and sharp bowling restricted the side to modest total. The pitch appeared to offer some assistance, making batting tricky at times, and Punjab did suffer a brief collapse, but they held their nerve to complete the chase.

PBKS Bowling Chokes GT’s Run-Scoring

GT’s tried and tested opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharshan started with a bang, scoring fours for fun. They enjoyed a partnership of 37 runs, after which Jos Buttler walked in.

Gill stayed with him until the 10th over, rendering the team two-down at 83. This was still a healthy score to have, all set for a solid second-half push, but Gujarat never caught momentum. 

The run rate dropped and wickets fell at somewhat regular intervals, and after the penultimate over of the innings, GT were standing at 150/6, later finishing at 162 runs. Given that scores in excess of 200 runs have been chased in this year’s IPL, they were never favourites to successfully defend this score.

PBKS Complete Dramatic Chase

Unlike Gujarat, Punjab were dealt an early blow when opener Priyansh Arya was dismissed on 7 runs. Cooper Connolly though, who walked in next, stopped the bowling side from capitalizing on the breakthrough by marking a solid 70+ run partnership with Prabhsimran Singh. 

In fact, the Australian went on to score a half century, fininshing the match on 72 off 44 balls.

At one point though, GT produced a stunning turnaround, reducing PBKS from 110/2 to 118/6 in a remarkable burst that hinted at a dramatic twist. However, Connolly and Jansen steadied the innings from then on, stitching together a composed partnership to guide the side close to the target. 

Yet another late twist saw Jansen’s wicket fall, but the job was all but done by that point. In walked Xavier Bartlett, who stood firm and helped the team get through the finish line.