IPL 2026: Punjab Kings beat Gujarat Titans by three wickets

Punjab Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by three wickets in their opening game of the IPL 2026. Cooper Connolly stole the show in the middle, scoring an unbeaten 72 runs off 44 balls as Punjab chased 163 runs with five balls to spare. Prasidh Krishna made it tough in the end, claiming three quick wickets, but Cooper turned out to be a one-man army, getting the job done for the Punjab.

After the game, Gujarat captain Shubman Gill decoded the reason behind the defeat. The 26-year-old analysed that his team were a few runs short and with the continuous drizzle in the second innings, the bowlers couldn’t make the most of the opportunity. However, in the end, he was happy to see the bowlers step up despite a poor start.

“Batting, it looked like a 210-220 wicket. We thought 175 would be a good score, but we kept losing wickets and didn't score much in the last 5 overs. Once the ball got older, it was difficult to hit it down the



ground. In the second innings, rain continued, making the ball wet, which slightly improved batting conditions. So I don't think it stopped as much in the second innings. But nonetheless, I think we did a decent job. We kept the pressure on,” Gill said in the post-match presentation.

Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer was also very impressed with Cooper, who only made his IPL debut tonight. He smacked well in the powerplay and when the team was under pressure, the Australia international was smart enough to rotate the strike. Iyer praised his mentality and expect him to carry on with the momentum. 

“Some of the shots he played was surreal. I was focusing on my hand and suddenly we lost wickets back-to-back. You have to remain calm. Cooper has got a great mindset and hope he continues his form,” Iyer said.

Notably, Cooper now holds the record of registering the fifth-highest total by a debutant in IPL.