IPL 2026: Gujarat Titans win by 4 wickets, hand second consecutive defeat to table toppers Punjab

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Titans defeated the Punjab Kings by 4 wickets in a thrilling IPL 2026 encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Batting first, the Punjab Kings posted a total of 163 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, the Gujarat Titans clinched the match with one ball to spare in a contest that went down to the very last over. Gujarat won the match by scoring 167 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 19.5 overs. This marks Gujarat's sixth victory in 10 matches in IPL 2026, while Punjab suffered their second defeat.

What happened during the match?

The Punjab Kings, batting first, got off to a disastrous start. The team lost two wickets in the very first over; Priyansh Arya was dismissed for 2 runs, while Cooper Connolly departed without opening his account. Mohammed Siraj narrowly missed out on a hat-trick in that opening over. In the sixth over, Prabhsimran Singh was dismissed after scoring 15 runs off 14 balls. Nehal Wadhera also failed to open his account. Captain Shreyas Iyer returned to the pavilion after scoring 19 runs off 21 balls. Suryansh Shedge played a blistering innings of 57 runs off 29 balls, during which he struck three fours and five sixes. Marcus Stoinis contributed 40 runs off 31 balls, while Xavier failed to open his account.

Gujarat captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first. The Titans handed a debut opportunity to Nishant Sindhu, while Xavier Bartlett made a return to the Punjab Kings' playing XI. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, the Punjab Kings have been on a winning streak and have lost only one match so far. Having played 8 matches, Punjab has won 6 and currently sits at the top of the points table. On the other hand, the Gujarat Titans have displayed a lack of consistency. Under the leadership of Shubman Gill, the team has won 5 out of the 9 matches played, while losing 4. Gujarat currently sits in 5th place on the table.

How did Sai Sudharsan perform?

Gujarat Titans did not get off to a great start in the run chase. Captain Shubman Gill fell victim to Arshdeep Singh with a personal score of just 5 runs. Following this, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler combined to forge a 53-run partnership for the second wicket. Vijaykumar Vyshak broke this partnership by dismissing Buttler (26 runs). Nishant Sindhu managed to score only 15 runs before his wicket was claimed by Marcus Stoinis.

Sai Sudharsan played a fine innings, but he was dismissed at a crucial juncture. Sudharsan scored 57 runs off 41 balls, aided by 5 fours and a six. Rahul Tewatia's poor form continued as he fell victim to Marco Jansen with a personal score of just 2 runs. At the time of Tewatia's dismissal, Gujarat's score stood at 140/5. Subsequently, Jason Holder was dismissed after scoring just 5 runs, adding a thrilling twist to the contest.

How did Punjab Kings Batters Perform?

After losing the toss and batting first, Punjab Kings posted a total of 163 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Punjab Kings endured an extremely poor start; in the very first over, they lost the wickets of Priyansh Arya (2 runs) and Cooper Connolly (0 runs). Both batsmen were dismissed by Mohammed Siraj. Thereafter, Prabhsimran Singh and Captain Shreyas Iyer attempted to stabilize the innings by stitching together a 33-run partnership. Prabhsimran fell victim to Kagiso Rabada with a personal score of 15 runs, bringing an end to this partnership.

Subsequently, Jason Holder compounded Punjab Kings' difficulties by claiming the wickets of Nehal Wadhera (0 runs) and Shreyas Iyer (19 runs). At the time of Shreyas's dismissal, Punjab Kings' score stood at 47/5. From this point on, Suryansh Shedge and Marcus Stoinis combined to form a 79-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Shedge contributed 57 runs off 29 balls, an innings embellished with 5 sixes and 3 fours. Kagiso Rabada claimed the wicket of Shedge.

Subsequently, Jason Holder dismissed Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett (0 runs) on consecutive deliveries, once again pushing Punjab Kings onto the back foot. Stoinis contributed 40 runs off 31 balls, aided by 5 fours and a six. Punjab Kings lost their ninth wicket in the form of Marco Jansen (20 runs). For Gujarat Titans, Jason Holder claimed 4 wickets for 24 runs.

So far, 8 matches have been played between Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. During this period, Gujarat Titans have won 4 matches, while Punjab Kings have also achieved success in 4 matches. This marked the second clash between the two teams in the current season. In the match played on March 31, Punjab Kings had defeated Gujarat Titans by 3 wickets.