Gujarat Titans edged past Punjab Kings by four wickets in Match 46 of IPL 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, sealing a tense chase in the last over after another low-scoring battle.
Key takeaways
- Gujarat Titans won the toss and opted to field first in Ahmedabad.
- Punjab Kings suffered a collapse in the powerplay, losing four wickets within the opening six overs and later slipping to 47/5.
- Suryansh Shedge’s 57 helped PBKS recover to 163/9.
- Jason Holder led Gujarat’s bowling with four wickets to keep the total under pressure.
- Gujarat reached 164 and crossed the line with four wickets in hand, with Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar playing key roles.
PBKS recover to 163/9 after early shock
Punjab Kings were reeling early as their top order crumbled during the powerplay. Shreyas Iyer’s team lost four wickets inside the first six overs and then slid further to 47/5, leaving them with plenty to do to post a defendable score. The innings steadied when Suryansh Shedge took charge, contributing 57 to lift PBKS to 163/9.
Holder’s four-wicket haul sets up Gujarat’s chase
In response, Gujarat Titans managed to restrict Punjab’s momentum and prevent them from pushing the total higher. Jason Holder was the standout performer, taking four wickets as PBKS ended their innings on 163/9. With 164 required for victory, Gujarat’s chase remained tightly contested, rather than cruising through the middle overs.
Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar provided crucial contributions as the match moved into the final phase. Ultimately, Gujarat got the job done with four wickets left, finishing the contest in the last over.
Iyer: 163 was strong after Gujarat struck early
After the match, Shreyas Iyer felt Punjab’s score of 163 was a solid effort given the conditions and the early damage inflicted by Gujarat’s bowlers.
He said the total looked particularly impressive on a wicket where the ball behaved differently at the start, especially with the new ball. Iyer also highlighted that Gujarat’s bowlers made effective use of the surface—hitting the right lengths and keeping the ball close to the stumps, which limited Punjab’s ability to free their arms early.
According to Iyer, Punjab had to rebuild after losing wickets quickly, and reaching a 160-plus total was a major turnaround from that position. He pointed out that the team’s collapse began in the powerplay, and despite that, the recovery to the 160s represented a “phenomenal effort.”
Punjab tried to find accuracy with the new ball
Iyer acknowledged that Punjab had opportunities to defend the score, noting that the pitch was not ideal for easy strokeplay. Even so, he felt Gujarat’s chase stayed alive through the middle overs and carried through to the final over.
He said Punjab had expected their new-ball bowlers to land their line and length more accurately to force early breakthroughs. However, that plan did not fully materialise. Still, Iyer praised Punjab’s fight in the closing stages, describing their attitude and approach as excellent.
On whether the bowling lengths were slightly off—particularly with a number of boundaries struck square of the wicket—he accepted that execution was not flawless. At the same time, he stressed that the pitch characteristics played a role, with unpredictable bounce making certain shots harder. He argued that hitting over mid-wicket or playing a pull was not as straightforward, and that the surface was not ideally suited for batting “on the rise.”
Challenge for bowlers, positives for the table
Iyer also discussed how conditions like these can benefit bowlers by helping them regain confidence, especially in a season where several venues tend to favour batting. He framed the match as a strong test and said such pitches can raise bowlers’ mindset and belief moving forward.
Looking ahead, Punjab Kings were set to travel to Hyderabad next. Iyer said the team would try to stick to its routines and focus on carrying the right habits into the next game.
He ended by expressing excitement for the next opportunity, adding that Punjab wanted the two points and that the squad had been putting in hard work during training—what matters most, in his view, is the effort the players bring on match day.
