Cricholic
Cooper Connolly produced a sensational unbeaten 72 off 44 balls to guide Punjab Kings to a thrilling 3-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh . Afterwards, PBKS celebrated a perfect start to IPL 2026, as their bowlers had earlier restricted GT to 162/6.
💥 Cooper Connolly anchors the chase
Punjab Kings began the chase with an early setback as Priyansh Arya was dismissed for 7. However, Prabhsimran Singh immediately shifted momentum with a quick 37 off 24 balls, including four sixes.
Meanwhile, Cooper Connolly settled in at the other end and carefully built his innings. Initially, he focused on strike rotation. Then, once he got set, he began attacking the bowlers with confidence.
Connolly remained unbeaten on 72 off 44 balls, smashing 5 fours and 5 sixes. Moreover, his clean hitting against both pace and spin stood out throughout the chase.
One of the biggest moments came when he struck Rashid Khan for a brilliant back-foot six. As a result, the required run rate stayed under control and PBKS remained ahead in the chase.
🔥 PBKS bowlers keep GT in check
Earlier, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first on a slightly slow surface.
The decision paid off quickly.
Gujarat Titans started steadily through Sai Sudharsan (13) and Shubman Gill (39). However, PBKS bowlers did not allow them to dominate.
Yuzvendra Chahal, in particular, was excellent through the middle overs. He dismissed both Gill and Jos Buttler, finishing with 2/28.
Meanwhile, Vijaykumar Vyshak delivered the key breakthroughs. He removed Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, and Shahrukh Khan, ending with 3/34.
Furthermore, Marco Jansen bowled an economical spell of 1/20, which prevented GT from accelerating late in the innings.
Therefore, Gujarat Titans could only reach 162/6 in 20 overs, which eventually proved slightly below par.
⚡ Late wickets add drama to the finish
Punjab Kings looked comfortable for most of the chase. However, Gujarat Titans fought back strongly in the death overs.
Prasidh Krishna triggered a mini-collapse by dismissing Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, and Marcus Stoinis in quick succession. Consequently, the pressure increased on PBKS.
Nevertheless, Cooper Connolly stayed calm.
He rotated strike smartly and waited for loose deliveries to attack. Meanwhile, Xavier Bartlett played a crucial cameo of 11 off 5 balls*.
Eventually, the pair guided PBKS to 165/7 in 19.1 overs, sealing the win with five balls remaining.
🏏 Small Scorecard
GT: 162/6 (20)
🟠 Batting: Shubman Gill 39, Jos Buttler 38, Glenn Phillips 25
🔴 Bowling (PBKS): Vyshak 3/34, Chahal 2/28, Jansen 1/20
PBKS: 165/7 (19.1)
🟢 Batting: Cooper Connolly 72*, Prabhsimran Singh 37, Shreyas Iyer 18
🔵 Bowling (GT): Prasidh Krishna 3/29, Rashid Khan 1/29, Sundar 1/27
🏆 Player of the Match: Cooper Connolly
✅ Result: PBKS won by 3 wickets
🏆 Player of the Match and key takeaways
For his match-winning unbeaten 72*, Cooper Connolly was deservedly named Player of the Match.
Overall, this was a complete team performan
