Gujarat Titans all-rounder Jason Holder said the work done by Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada made his own spell far simpler as the defending side carved out a four-wicket triumph over Punjab Kings in an IPL 2026 contest on Sunday. Holder’s decisive bowling earned him the Player of the Match award, with figures of 4/24 from four overs, in a win that kept Gujarat on track in the points race.
How Gujarat built the win
- Holder praised Siraj and Rabada for their early burst, noting that the momentum they created helped Gujarat manage the middle phase of the innings with more control.
- In the very first over, Siraj struck to remove Priyansh Arya and then followed up with another breakthrough in the opening stages.
- Rabada added to the pressure by getting rid of Prabhsimran Singh in the sixth over.
- As the innings progressed, Holder took charge of the later overs by claiming the key wickets of Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett.
- Siraj and Rabada finished with two wickets apiece in those opening overs, which meant Holder could attack when Punjab’s batters were already under strain.
- Despite the wickets, Punjab managed a significant partnership: Suryansh Shedge contributed 57 off 29 alongside Marcus Stoinis, who made 40 off 31, producing a 79-run stand.
- In the end, Gujarat’s bowlers kept Punjab to 163/9, giving their batters a chase to target.
When Gujarat went in to chase, they also lost early wickets, but Sai Sudharsan steadied the innings with a knock of 57 off 41. Washington Sundar then closed things out in the final over, finishing unbeaten on 40 off 23 and striking for a six to seal the victory.
With this result, Gujarat Titans climbed to sixth place with 12 points, while Punjab Kings stayed top of the table with 13 points.
Holder’s post-match thoughts
After the match, Holder highlighted Siraj and Rabada’s impact, saying their bowling in the middle overs eased his workload. He also stressed that, while the early wickets helped, he still focused on executing the plans he had set for each phase of the game and maintaining pressure on the batting side.
“Credit to both Siraj and KG (Kagiso Rabada). Their efforts have been outstanding. Makes my job easier, coming in the middle. Having said that, still need to come and execute. Main thing is to keep pressure on. Ensure you make it difficult for them to score,” Holder said during the presentation.
The 34-year-old added that spending most of the last year and a half in the T20 format has helped him stay sharp across different match situations. He also reiterated his desire to return to Test cricket, while emphasising his immediate priority: staying mentally fresh, remaining positive, and delivering when called upon.
“Last year and half, only played T20 cricket. Would still love to play Test cricket, but able to focus on T20 cricket. Ensures I’m ready for all situations. For me, executing when called upon. Keeping fresh mind, staying positive, execute when called upon… Try to make an impact, best as I can under pressure,” Holder added.
