New Chandigarh, March 31 Debutant Cooper Connolly hit his maiden half-century as Punjab Kings chased down the target of 163 runs in 19.1 overs and registered a three-wicket win, thwarting a strong comeback by the Gujarat Titans in their opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the PCA's New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Tuesday.
Chasing 163, the Punjab Kings faced an early setback when impact player Priyansh Arya was dismissed for 7 off 8 balls in the second over by Kagiso Rabada.
Opener Prabhsimran Singh then countered, hitting back-to-back sixes off Rabada in the fourth over. Connolly joined the attack, smashing two sixes as Punjab reached 55/1 at the end of the Power-play. The duo continued to score freely, adding 76 runs for the second wicket and taking the team close to 100.
The partnership ended in the 10th over when Rashid Khan dismissed Prabhsimran for a quick 37 off 24 balls. Captain Shreyas Iyer kept the momentum going with two sixes but was dismissed in the 13th over by Prasidh Krishna.
The Gujarat Titans fought back strongly, removing Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, and Marcus Stoinis, with Krishna and Washington Sundar among the wicket-takers.
Despite the collapse at the other end, Connolly remained calm and completed his maiden IPL fifty on debut in just 34 balls. He remained unbeaten on 72 off 44 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes, and guided Punjab to victory along with Xavier Bartlett (11 not out) with five balls to spare.
Krishna was the standout bowler for Gujarat, finishing with 3-29, while Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Rashid Khan, and Sundar each took one wicket.
Earlier, fast bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak took three wickets while Yuzvendra Chahal took two as the Punjab Kings restricted the Gujarat Titans to 162/6 in 20 overs.
The Gujarat Titans made a strong start after being asked to bat first, with Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan scoring freely to take the score to 35/0 in three overs. However, the Punjab Kings struck early as Marco Jansen dismissed Sudharsan for 13.
Gill then added stability alongside Jos Buttler, guiding the team to 54/1 at the end of the powerplay. While Gill initially played aggressively, he later slowed down to anchor the innings before being dismissed for 39 off 27 balls by Yuzvendra Chahal in the 10th over.
Glenn Phillips looked to accelerate with a quick 25 off 17 balls, but fell to Vijaykumar Vyshak. Buttler continued to hold the innings together but was dismissed for 38 off 33 balls by Chahal in the 16th over.
Washington Sundar struggled for fluency and managed 18 off 16 balls before getting out late in the innings.
Vyshak was the standout performer with the ball, finishing with figures of 3-34 in four overs, while Chahal provided crucial support with two wickets. The disciplined bowling effort of the Punjab Kings ensured that the Gujarat Titans were kept under control despite their strong start.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 162/6 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 39, Jos Buttler 38; Vijaykumar Vyshak 3-34, Yuzvendra Chahal 2-28) lost to Punjab Kings 165/7 in 19.1 overs (Cooper Connolly 72*, Prabhsimran Singh 37; Prasidh Krishna 3-29, Washington Sundar 1-27) by 3 wickets.