PBKS vs GT Highlights, IPL 2026: Debutant Cooper Connolly announces himself in style; Snatches win from jaws of defeat

Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans LIVE Score: Cooper Connolly takes PBKS home in a tense affair.

Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans Highlights: The Titans kept picking up wickets, triggering a collapse in which the Kings lost four wickets for just eight runs. It looked like the Titans would snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, but Cooper Connolly stood tall for the Kings. He stayed there till the end, changed the momentum again and took his team home.

The Kings did not have a great start in the chase. Priyansh Arya fell early off Rabada's bowling. After that It was Prabhsimran Singh and Cooper Connonlly. The duo played aggressive cricket and slowly put the Titans out of the game. At one stage, it looked like the two batters would cruise through to victory. But Rashid Khan picked up the wicket of Prabhsimran Singh, keeping the hopes of the Titans alive.

Buttler and Phillips decided to bat steadily and build a fighting total. The partnership had worked for 36 runs, and they were looking to switch gears when Vijaykumar Vyshak dismissed Glenn Phillips. After this, a lot depended on Jos Buttler, but Chahal ensured that the English batter did not stay there till the end. After that, the Punjab Kings executed their plans brilliantly and did not allow the Titans a good finish. At the end of the 20 overs, the Titans could manage 162/6.

After the departure of Sudarshan, Gill and Butller steadied the ship for the Titans. The duo were progressing steadily, laying a solid foundation. However, Yuzvendra Chahal got the better of the GT captain as Gill was dismissed after the partnership had worked 46 runs.

Ahead of the game, the Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to field first. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudarshan gave the Titans a solid start. It looked like the opening partnership was continuing from the previous season. They were en route to lay a solid platform for the team. However, Jansen drew first blood as he picked up the wicket of the left-handed batter in the fourth over.

Punjab Kings begin their IPL 2026 campaign tonight against the Gujarat Titans in Match 4 of the season at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. It is the first appearance of the season for both sides, which immediately gives this contest extra early weight: one team will leave with momentum, clarity and two points, the other with a few selection and balance questions already chasing it before April has begun.

Punjab come into the season with a strong leadership setup under captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, while Gujarat begin under Shubman Gill, looking to reassert themselves after slipping from the title pace that defined their early years in the league. The fixture itself is more evenly poised than the branding of the two sides may suggest. Punjab and Gujarat are locked at 3-3 in their head-to-head meetings.

While the Kings will look to go one better than their last campaign this time, the Titans will be eager to lift their second title. On paper, these two sides look very balanced, and the fixture promises to be exciting.

Playing XIs

Gujarat Titans Playing XI: B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj

Punjab Kings Playing XI: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Vyshak Vijaykumar

Impact Substitutes

Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Vishnu Vinod, Suryansh Shedge, Harpeet Brar, Praveen Dubey

Gujarat Titans: Prasidh Krishna, Kumar Kushagra, Manav Suthar, Jayant Yadav, Jason Holder