Punjab Kings beat Gujarat Titans in Match 4 of IPL 2026. The match took place at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. PBKS chased down a target of 163 in 19.1 overs and won by 3 wickets with 5 balls remaining.
Australian debutant Cooper Connolly was the anchor of the chase, finishing unbeaten on 72 off 44 balls, hitting 5 fours and 5 sixes at a strike rate of 163.63. He reached his fifty in 34 balls before shepherding PBKS through a dramatic middle-order collapse to seal a tense 3-wicket victory. Impact substitute Xavier Bartlett provided the finishing touch with a breezy 11* off 5 balls.
For GT, impact substitute Prasidh Krishna was the standout with 3/29 in 4 overs, sparking the PBKS middle-order wobble. Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yuzvendra Chahal were the pick of the PBKS bowling attack in the first innings, restricting GT to 162/6 with figures of 3/34 and 2/28 respectively.
Match Summary: PBKS vs GT, IPL 2026 Match 4
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| GT Score | 162/6 (20 overs) |
| PBKS Score | 165/7 (19.1 overs) |
| Match Result | PBKS won by 3 wickets (5 balls remaining) |
| Best Batting (PBKS) | Cooper Connolly – 72* off 44 balls |
| Best Bowling (PBKS) | Vijaykumar Vyshak – 3/34 in 4 overs |
| Venue | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh |
GT Innings: 162/6 in 20 Overs
Gujarat Titans were put in to bat after PBKS won the toss at Mullanpur. The surface offered enough for the seamers early, with Marco Jansen drawing first blood by removing Sai Sudharsan for 13 off 11 balls in the 4th over, leaving GT at 37/1 at the end of the powerplay with 54 runs on the board.
Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler steadied the innings with a 46-run second-wicket stand. Gill fell for 39 off 27 balls, caught at cover off Yuzvendra Chahal in the 10th over with GT at 83/2. Buttler continued to build, adding 36 more runs with Glenn Phillips before Chahal struck again, having Buttler caught by Bartlett for 38 off 33 balls at 129/4 in the 16th over.
Phillips had already gone for a punchy 25 off 17 balls, caught by Jansen off Vyshak at 119/3. Washington Sundar contributed 18 off 16 before falling to Vyshak at 144/5, and Vyshak completed a 3-wicket haul by removing Shahrukh Khan for just 4 to leave GT at 150/6 in the final over. Rahul Tewatia finished unbeaten on 11 off 10 balls to take GT to 162/6.
PBKS Chase: 165/7 in 19.1 Overs
PBKS’s reply began shakily when impact substitute Priyansh Arya was caught off Kagiso Rabada for 7 off 8 balls inside the second over. Prabhsimran Singh and Connolly then rebuilt with a dominant 76-run second-wicket stand off 49 balls to put PBKS in control. The powerplay yielded 55 runs for 1 wicket.
Prabhsimran Singh fell for 37 off 24 balls, caught off Rashid Khan at 83/2 in the 10th over. Shreyas Iyer injected brief momentum with 18 off 11 balls, including two sixes, before being caught at mid-on off impact substitute Prasidh Krishna at 110/3. PBKS then lost three more wickets in the space of nine balls, Nehal Wadhera for 3, Shashank Singh for 4, and Marcus Stoinis for a duck to slump to 118/6 in the 15th over with 45 still needed. Connolly, who was 48* at that point, steadied with Marco Jansen in a 26-run stand before Jansen fell for 9 to Ashok Sharma at 144/7.
Connolly and Bartlett then knocked off the remaining 21 runs in 9 balls, with Connolly finishing on 72* to seal PBKS’s first win of IPL 2026. Prasidh Krishna’s 3/29 in 4 overs was the only bowling highlight for GT.
Key Highlight: Connolly’s Match-Winning 72
Cooper Connolly’s innings was the defining moment of the match, guiding PBKS through a six-wicket collapse to clinch a nervy win. Key numbers from the chase:
- Connolly fifty: reached in 34 balls
- Cooper Connolly: 72 off 44 balls, 5 fours, 5 sixes
- Connolly-Prabhsimran 2nd wicket stand: 76 runs off 49 balls
- PBKS at worst: 118/6, needing 45 off 32 balls
- Margin of victory: 3 wickets with 5 balls remaining
Prasidh Krishna’s three-wicket burst rocked the PBKS middle order and brought GT right back into the match, but Connolly’s composure under pressure proved the difference. Vyshak’s 3/34 and Chahal’s 2/28 gave PBKS an upper hand in the first innings, and Connolly’s unbeaten knock made sure they converted it into 2 points.
