In our complete PBKS vs GT IPL 2026 Analysis – Punjab Kings started their season with a nail biting three wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur. Chasing a tricky 163, debutant Cooper Connolly played a masterful knock of 72 to guide his team home with just five balls to spare. It was a gritty performance from the home side, overcoming a massive middle order collapse to secure the crucial early points.
Another one, right on the money. 🎯
PBKS to win.
If you’re only seeing this after the result… you’re using us wrong.
PBKS vs GT IPL 2026 Analysis -Match Summary
| Detail | Info |
| GT | 162/6 in 20.0 |
| PBKS | 165/7 in 19.1 |
| Result | PBKS won by 3 wickets |
| Player of the Match | Cooper Connolly |
| Venue | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium, Mullanpur |
First Innings Recap : GT (162/6)
The Gujarat innings started with positive intent as Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan found early boundaries. However, Marco Jansen provided the initial breakthrough, and the scoring rate eventually bogged down. Gill and Jos Buttler tried to stabilize the innings, but the Punjab bowlers used the conditions brilliantly by constantly taking pace off the ball. Vijaykumar Vyshak was the star of the show, picking up three crucial wickets in the death overs to restrict the Titans to 162, a total that felt about twenty runs short on this surface.
Key contributions:
- Shubman Gill: 39 runs off 27 balls
- Jos Buttler: 38 runs off 31 balls
- Vijaykumar Vyshak: 4.0 overs, 34 runs, 3 wickets
Second Innings Recap : PBKS (165/7)
The run chase had a shaky beginning when Priyansh Arya fell early to the pace of Kagiso Rabada. Prabhsimran Singh and Cooper Connolly then launched a brilliant counterattack, stitching a rapid fifty run partnership to put Punjab firmly in the driver’s seat. Just when the game looked sealed, Prasidh Krishna unleashed a fiery spell, dismissing key batters like Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh to trigger a dramatic collapse. Ultimately, Connolly kept his composure, and a crucial late six from Xavier Bartlett ensured Punjab crossed the finish line in the final over.
Key contributions:
- Cooper Connolly: 72 runs off 44 balls
- Prabhsimran Singh: 37 runs off 24 balls
- Prasidh Krishna: 4.0 overs, 29 runs, 3 wickets
Turning Point
🔄 Turning Point 1: Ashok dropped Connolly when he was on 15 runs, Connolly made sure to hurt GT by adding 57 more runs and taking PBKS to cross the line remaining not out.
🔄 Turning Point 2: Yuzvendra Chahal removing Shubman Gill Just as the Gujarat captain looked ready to explode, Chahal tossed up a clever slower delivery. Gill mistimed his shot straight to deep midwicket, instantly halting the momentum of the Titans.
🔄 Turning Point 3: The fiery spell from Prasidh Krishna Prasidh turned the match upside down by grabbing three quick wickets, including a brutal delivery to remove Shashank Singh. This sudden burst of energy brought Gujarat right back into the contest.
Tactical Takeaways :
📋 Punjab Kings opting to bowl first : did it work?
Absolutely. Shreyas Iyer correctly judged that the Mullanpur pitch would be slightly sticky early on. His bowlers hit hard lengths and prevented Gujarat from ever running away with a massive total.
📋 Gujarat Titans relying on raw pace in the middle overs : impact?
It almost won them the game out of nowhere. Using Prasidh Krishna to target the stumps with extra bounce completely exposed the Punjab middle order and forced the match into the final over.
📋 Trusting Cooper Connolly to anchor the chase Sending the young Australian up the order on his debut was a massive gamble that paid off perfectly. He absorbed the extreme pressure of falling wickets at the other end and played a remarkably mature innings.
What this means for both the teams
Punjab Kings : Starting their campaign with a home victory gives Shreyas Iyer and his squad massive confidence. Finding a reliable match winner in Cooper Connolly is a huge positive, though they urgently need to fix their middle order fragility.
Gujarat Titans : They will be deeply disappointed at falling short with the bat. The top order needs to convert their starts into big scores, but their phenomenal fighting spirit with the ball is a very strong positive sign for the coming games.
Final Verdict
This match was a pure rollercoaster and a perfect reminder of why this tournament is so beloved. Gujarat fought like absolute warriors to defend a below par total, but Cooper Connolly displayed ice cold nerves on his very first night. If Punjab can consistently uncover hidden gems like him, they will be a serious force to reckon with this season.