Punjab Kings Begin IPL 2026 Campaign with Thrilling Win Over Gujarat Titans
PBKS vs GT, IPL 2026: Punjab Kings Beat Gujarat Titans By 3Wicket: Punjab Kings kicked off their Indian Premier League 2026 season with a hard-fought 3-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in an exciting contest.
Led by Shreyas Iyer, Punjab opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Gujarat got off to a steady start, with skipper Shubman Gill scoring 39 and Jos Buttler adding 38. However, Punjab’s disciplined bowling attack prevented a big total.
Veteran spinner Yuzvendra Chahal delivered a crucial spell, picking up 2 wickets for 28 runs, while Vijay Kumar impressed with 3 key scalps. Gujarat Titans were eventually restricted to 162 runs.
Chasing 163, Punjab suffered an early collapse and found themselves under pressure after losing four wickets in quick succession. But 22-year-old debutant Cooper Connolly turned the game around with a unbeaten 72 off 44 balls, smashing 5 fours and 5 sixes.
Despite a strong bowling effort from Prasidh Krishna, who claimed 3 wickets, Connolly held his nerve. Supported by Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett, he guided Punjab to victory in 19.1 overs.
The win marks a confident start for Punjab Kings as they aim to go one step further this season after finishing runners-up last year.
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