IPL 2026 PBKS vs GT Match Result

The IPL 2026 opener in Mullanpur saw Punjab Kings beat Gujarat Titans by three wickets in a nail-biting finish. Gujarat posted 162/6 with Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler scoring freely. PBKS looked comfortable at 110/2 but Prasidh Krishna’s quick strikes left them struggling. On debut, Australian youngster Cooper Connolly played a match-winning knock of 72* off 44 balls sealing the chase with five balls left. His calm batting under pressure gave PBKS the perfect start to their season. Here’s the detailed analysis of the PBKS vs GT match result.

Gujarat Titans (GT) Innings: Struggled to Finish Strong

PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer’s call to bowl first worked perfectly as Gujarat Titans struggled to post a big score ending at 162/6. Shubman Gill (39 runs) and Jos Buttler (38 runs) got starts but couldn’t convert both falling to Yuzvendra Chahal. Glenn Phillips chipped in with 25 runs on debut but Vijaykumar Vyshak’s clever variations earned him 3/34 and broke the middle order. GT’s innings lost steam in the middle overs and managed only 31 runs in the last five leaving them short of a competitive total.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) Innings: Connolly’s Calm Finish

Chasing 163 runs, Punjab Kings lost Priyansh Arya early but Prabhsimran Singh and debutant Cooper Connolly steadied things with a 76-run stand. Just when the chase looked easy, Prasidh Krishna’s fiery spell (3/29) ripped through the middle order and reduced PBKS from 110/2 to 118/6. However, Connolly kept his cool reaching a fifty off 34 balls and finding support from Xavier Bartlett who hit a crucial six late in the innings. With two runs needed in the final over, Connolly sealed the win with a boundary finishing unbeaten on 72 off 44 balls and giving PBKS a three-wicket victory.

PBKS vs GT Match Result: Key Moments

• Marco Jansen dismissed Sai Sudharsan in the fourth over giving PBKS a strong start.
• Yuzvendra Chahal removed Shubman Gill (39 runs) and Jos Buttler (38 runs).
• Prasidh Krishna took 3/29 sparking a collapse from 110/2 to 118/6.
• Cooper Connolly smashed a 103‑metre six off Rashid Khan.
• Connolly played a match-winning knock of 72 runs off 44 balls.
• In the 19th over, Connolly hammered 14 runs off Prasidh to swing the chase back PBKS’s way.

Points Table Impact

Punjab Kings earned 2 points from their opening win and boosted their Net Run Rate to +0.509. Gujarat Titans still searching for their first victory with an NRR of -0.509.
Here’s how the points table looks after RR’s win over CSK – Updated Points Table.

Key Performers and Awards