#TATAIPL-2026-4: Brilliant IPL Debut By Cooper Connolly Helps Punjab Kings Pull Off A Thrilling 3-Wicket Win Over Gujarat Titans

Picture : @IPL/X

Punjab Kings held their nerves to clinch a thrilling 3- wicket win over the Gujarat Titans in a Tata IPL 2026 encounter at New Chandigarh .  Earlier Punjab Kings Skipper Shreyas Iyer  won the toss  and opted to bowl first .

Punjab Kings bowlers did a good job in restricting the  GT batting line-up to  a modest 162/ 6 in their 20 overs . GT began cautiously  Sai Sudharsan out for 13, Skipper Shubman Gill scoring 39 ( 27 balls 6 fours) Jos Buttler 38  ( 33   balls  3 fours 2 sixes) . The big score eluded them  . Glenn Phillips ( 25) , Washington Sundar ( 18) , M Shahrukh Khan 9 4), Rahul Tewatia not out 11, Rashid Khan not out 4 .

Punjab Kings Bowling :  Arshdeep Singh 0/42 ( 4 overs) , Xavier Bartlett 0/36 ( 4 overs), Marco Jansen 1/20 ( 4 overs), Vijaykumar Vyshak 3/36 ( 4 overs), Yuzvendra Chahal 2/28 ( 4 overs)

Chasing 163 to win , Punjab Kings  began on a shaky note . They lost opener Priyansh Arya cheaply for 7 . Prabhsimran Singh put innings on track with 37 ( 24 balls , 1 four , 4 sixes). Punjab Skipper  Shreyas Iyer was out for 18 , Nehal Wadhera ( 3), Shashank Singh ( 4). The chase suddenly looked tricky with fall of wickets . Adding to the woes Marcus Stoinis ( 0), Marco Jansen ( 9).

Punjab could romp home with a scare thanks to a brilliant Tata IPL debut by Aussie  all- rounder Cooper Connolly who carried his bat right through  to score  a match- winning unbetean 72 ( 44 balls , 5 fours, 5 sixes) , Xavier Bartlett 11  was the other not out batsman and the duo saw  Punjab kings home by three wickets  . Punjab reaching 165 /7 ( 19.1 overs)

GT Bowling : Mohammed Siraj 0/15 ( 2 overs), Kagiso Rabada 1/34 ( 3 overs), Ashok Sharma 1/31 ( 3 overs), Rashid Khan 1/29 ( 4 overs), Washington Sundar 1/27 ( 3.1 overs), Prasidh Krishna 3/29 ( 4 overs)

Match: IPL 2026, 4th Match
Venue: New Chandigarh | Date: March 31,