{"id":236,"date":"2026-04-05T10:55:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T10:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/cooper-connolly-on-debut-stars-as-pbks-beat-gt-in-last-over-thriller"},"modified":"2026-04-05T11:52:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T11:52:11","slug":"cooper-connolly-on-debut-stars-as-pbks-beat-gt-in-last-over-thriller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/cooper-connolly-on-debut-stars-as-pbks-beat-gt-in-last-over-thriller","title":{"rendered":"Cooper Connolly on Debut Stars as PBKS Beat GT in Last-Over Thriller"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Cooper Connolly made a sparkling start on his IPL debut as Punjab Kings chased down the target with three wickets to spare against Gujarat Titans at Mullanpur. The 72-run knock set the tone, and the home side\u2019s winning finish was sealed in style as Connolly and Xavier Bartlett swung the match decisively in the final stretch.<\/p>\n<h2>Before the first ball<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Venue and conditions: The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, offers a hard, batting-friendly surface with a lush outfield and relatively short square boundaries (64m and 70m), plus a 74m straight boundary\u2014conditions that typically support totals in excess of 200. The pitch is not expected to offer much help to spinners, and with dew unlikely to play a major role, both innings should face similar conditions.<\/li>\n<li>Head-to-head notes: The rivalry has been evenly balanced, with both sides winning a comparable number of meetings and many of their games going to the wire. Gujarat have never beaten Punjab in Ahmedabad, while Punjab have yet to register a win over Gujarat in Mullanpur.<\/li>\n<li>Recent encounters: On 25 March 2025, Punjab beat Gujarat by 11 runs in Ahmedabad. On 21 April 2024, Gujarat won by 3 wickets in Mullanpur. On 4 April 2024, Punjab won by 3 wickets in Ahmedabad. On 13 April 2023, Gujarat won by 6 wickets in Mohali. On 3 May 2022, Punjab won by 8 wickets in Navi Mumbai.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Earlier, Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bowl first in the season opener against Gujarat Titans.<\/p>\n<p>Punjab\u2019s captain\u2019s corner featured Iyer saying they intended to bowl first, pointing to a strong finish to the previous season while stressing the need to focus on the present. He also noted that Cooper Connolly, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett and Marco Jansen are overseas players.<\/p>\n<p>Shubman Gill also spoke about the wicket, describing it as favourable after rain on and off over the previous two days. He referenced last season\u2019s success, highlighted two debutants\u2014Glenn Phillips and Ashok Sharma\u2014and added that Jos Buttler\u2019s experience should help the side in the campaign.<\/p>\n<h2>Squads and impact options<\/h2>\n<p>Impact subs available:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gujarat Titans: Prasidh Krishna, Jason Holder, Jayant Yadav, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra.<\/li>\n<li>Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Harpreet Brar, Praveen Dubey, Vishnu Vinod, Suryansh Shedge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Playing XIs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (w), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.<\/li>\n<li>Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, M Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Predicted XIs (with impact players) also pointed towards a similar structure: Punjab included Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, with Nehal Wadhera as the impact option. Gujarat were expected to field Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Jason Holder, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, with Rabada as the impact player.<\/p>\n<h2>Players to watch and team context<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Sai Sudharsan: Expected to provide Gujarat a steady start alongside Gill. He returned after a rib injury and had finished last season as the leading run-getter with 759 runs. In IPL history across 40 matches, he had 1,793 runs at an average of 49.80 and a strike rate of 145.89.<\/li>\n<li>Shubman Gill: If he accelerates, he can take the game away quickly. The discussion around his tempo was noted, alongside his 2025 output of 650 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 155.87 and average of 50. Across 118 IPL matches, Gill had 3,866 runs at 39.44 with a strike rate of 138.71, including four centuries.<\/li>\n<li>Shreyas Iyer: Also framed as someone keen to begin IPL 2026 with a win and a strong batting showing after leading Punjab to the final last year.<\/li>\n<li>Priyansh Arya: Highlighted as a fearless opener with explosive potential, including a record of six sixes in an over in Delhi Premier League and a fifth-fastest IPL hundred (39 balls) against CSK in his debut season. His 2025 tally was described as 475 runs in 17 matches with a strike rate near 180.<\/li>\n<li>Arshdeep Singh: Coming in with confidence after India\u2019s T20 World Cup triumph, he was described as being three wickets short of the 100-wicket mark in the tournament (97 wickets in 82 matches). He has been a consistent performer and a death-over specialist known for swinging the new ball and executing yorkers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ponting\u2019s latest message to his squad underlined that last season\u2019s success should not set expectations for the new year. He stressed it was \u201cnil-nil\u201d for everyone and pointed to the franchise\u2019s depth, including a back-up player for most roles through the squad\u2019s 25th option, while believing the group could be stronger. He added that natural growth from players, combined with extracting their best over the next two months, could lead to improved performances compared with the previous year.<\/p>\n<h2>Gujarat Titans innings: pressure in the middle, wickets when it mattered<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Match begins: Sai Sudharsan opened with captain Shubman Gill, while Arshdeep Singh took charge of the new ball for Punjab.<\/li>\n<li>Powerplay start: In the first two overs, Gujarat reached 23\/0 as Gill and Sudharsan found early rhythm, with boundaries and singles keeping the innings ticking.<\/li>\n<li>Bartlett finds rhythm, but Gill leads the charge: Bartlett\u2019s opening over proved costly, with Gill striking three boundaries in the over as Gujarat moved forward to 54\/1 by the end of the sixth over.<\/li>\n<li>First breakthrough for Punjab: Marco Jansen removed Sai Sudharsan for 13, giving PBKS their first wicket as Gujarat went to 37\/1 in the fourth over.<\/li>\n<li>Gill departs: Yuzvendra Chahal slowed the chase and struck, dismissing Shubman Gill for 39. Cooper Connolly completed the catch at deep mid-wicket as Gujarat were 84\/2 at 10 overs.<\/li>\n<li>Chahal keeps it tight: Another tidy spell restricted scoring opportunities, with Gujarat rotating strike but failing to break free. At 16 overs, the score was 131\/4.<\/li>\n<li>Buttler out: Chahal dismissed Jos Buttler for 38, ending a dangerous phase. Buttler hit down the ground but found Xavier Bartlett at long-on for a superb overhead catch, leaving Gujarat at 131\/4 (16).<\/li>\n<li>Phillips wicket: Vijaykumar Vyshak took his first major wicket by getting Glenn Phillips out for 25, trapping him leg-side via a slower delivery that sent the ball to Marco Jansen at long-off.<\/li>\n<li>Death overs control: Punjab held their shape in the final phase. Jansen finished strongly with a spell described as 1\/20, limiting big hits, while Washington Sundar and Shahrukh Khan could only manage occasional boundaries.<\/li>\n<li>Late wickets: Washington Sundar fell for 18 as he mistimed an aggressive shot off Vyshak and was caught at deep point. Shahrukh Khan later departed for 4 after Vyshak struck again.<\/li>\n<li>Gujarat finish: Gujarat were bowled out\/ended at 150\/6 in the 19th over stage described in the run-by-run report, with the innings reaching 144\/5 and 150\/6 as wickets fell at 18.1 and 19 respectively.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Punjab Kings chase: Connolly\u2019s debut 72 and a home win<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Target set: Punjab needed 163 to win after Gujarat\u2019s innings.<\/li>\n<li>Early wicket: Priyansh Arya was dismissed for 7 in the second over, caught at short midwicket off Kagiso Rabada, leaving Punjab at 7\/1 in 1.2 overs.<\/li>\n<li>Powerplay momentum: Prabhsimran Singh and Cooper Connolly continued to build. By 4 overs, Punjab were 37\/1, and by 6 overs they reached 55\/1, with Connolly striking a six and a four while Prabhsimran added boundaries.<\/li>\n<li>Over-by-over aggression: Prabhsimran dominated against Rabada with back-to-back sixes, including a hit over cow corner, as Punjab raced to 64\/1 by 7 overs.<\/li>\n<li>50 partnership: Prabhsimran and Connolly brought up a 50-run stand. Prabhsimran struck a slog-swept six off Washington Sundar, while both batters rotated strike effectively.<\/li>\n<li>Connolly takes on Rashid: Connolly hit a powerful six off Rashid Khan, while Rashid otherwise kept things tight and restricted scoring opportunities. Punjab were 72\/1 at 8 overs.<\/li>\n<li>Shreyas Iyer\u2019s surge: Shreyas Iyer started strongly against Ashok Sharma with two successive sixes\u2014one a clean pull and another top-edged but still travelling to the boundary. Punjab moved to 99\/2 at 11 overs.<\/li>\n<li>Prabhsimran out: Rashid Khan struck again, dismissing Prabhsimran Singh for 37. The lofted drive lacked elevation and was caught at long-on off Prasidh Krishna as Punjab were 83\/2 in the 9.3 over mark.<\/li>\n<li>Connolly and Iyer continue: Punjab reached 110\/3 at 12.1 as Iyer\u2019s aggressive flick ended when Prasidh Krishna dismissed him on the first ball of the over, with Washington Sundar completing the catch at deep square leg.<\/li>\n<li>Nehal Wadhera wicket: Washington Sundar dismissed Nehal Wadhera for 3. Wadhera stepped out trying to attack and found Shubman Gill at cover, giving Gujarat back-to-back breakthroughs as Punjab were 115\/4 at 13.2.<\/li>\n<li>Shashank Singh falls: Prasidh Krishna struck again, getting Shashank Singh out for 4 via an edge to Jos Buttler. Punjab were 118\/5 at 14.2.<\/li>\n<li>Marcus Stoinis gone: Prasidh removed Marcus Stoinis for a duck, with Stoinis mistiming an attempted go-over-the-infield shot. The wicket pushed Punjab to 118\/5 at 14.4.<\/li>\n<li>Connolly fifty: Cooper Connolly completed a superb IPL debut fifty by hitting a boundary off Kagiso Rabada, becoming the 25th player to score a 50+ on IPL debut. He followed with a towering six as Punjab reached 133\/6 at 16 overs.<\/li>\n<li>Jansen wicket: Ashok Sharma picked up his maiden IPL wicket by dismissing Marco Jansen for 9. The slower ball deceived Jansen, who mistimed the shot, and Gill took a safe catch at extra cover. Punjab were 144\/7 at 17.4.<\/li>\n<li>Chase sealed in the final stretch: With just a small number of runs required, Xavier Bartlett hammered a crucial six off Prasidh Krishna, and Connolly followed with a boundary to take Punjab Kings home.<\/li>\n<li>Result: Punjab Kings won by 3 wickets, finishing on 159\/7 in 18.4 overs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Connolly\u2019s debut brilliance also placed him among the notable high scores on IPL debut, with 72* for Punjab Kings against Gujarat Titans in 2026. The list referenced included 158* by Brendon McCullum for KKR vs RCB in 2008, 116* by Michael Hussey for CSK vs KXIP in 2008, 84* by Shaun Marsh for KXIP vs Deccan in 2008, 73 by Kyle Mayers for LSG vs DC in 2023, and 72* as Connolly\u2019s debut contribution.<\/p>\n<h2>Post-match reactions<\/h2>\n<p>Connolly, named Player of the Match, said he was simply looking forward to playing alongside world-class players and praised the team\u2019s overall effort. On his approach to hitting, he described himself as more of a tempo player and added that working with Ricky has been \u201cgreat.\u201d He said he was relaxed during the chase and that Marco was calm too, while Xavier also stood out as someone he had not previously played against. He also spoke about enjoying the contest and staying in the moment.<\/p>\n<p>Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill reflected on the innings, saying they believed the wicket would be a good batting surface\u2014something akin to 210 to 220\u2014but felt they did not score enough, especially in the final five overs after losing wickets. He noted that once the ball got older it was harder to hit straight down the ground. Gill also pointed to weather continuing in the second innings, which made the ball wet and slightly improved batting conditions. On Punjab\u2019s bowling, he said it was good and could not be blamed. He also mentioned the impact of Prasidh Krishna being delayed at first, but arriving at the right time to take wickets and keep Gujarat in contention until the 17th and 18th overs. He further praised Ashok Sharma\u2019s hard work, describing him as a \u201cgood find,\u201d and said he had met Ashok at a camp a couple of months earlier. Gill closed by telling the team to keep their effort levels high and continue working, insisting they should always show their talent.<\/p>\n<p>With the victory, Punjab Kings secured their first home-ground triumph in Mullanpur and recorded their fourth win in seven matches against Gujarat Titans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cooper Connolly made a sparkling start on his IPL debut as Punjab Kings chased down the target with three wickets to spare against Gujarat Titans&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: PBKS vs GT Result as Connolly Debuts Shine","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Cooper Connolly dazzles on IPL debut as PBKS beat GT in a last-over thriller\u2014chase sealed with three wickets to spare at Mullanpur.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>IPL 2026: PBKS vs GT Result as Connolly Debuts Shine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cooper Connolly dazzles on IPL debut as PBKS beat GT in a last-over thriller\u2014chase sealed with three wickets to spare at Mullanpur.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/cooper-connolly-on-debut-stars-as-pbks-beat-gt-in-last-over-thriller\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"IPL 2026: PBKS vs GT Result as Connolly 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