Ahmedabad, May 3 (IANS) Gujarat Titans held their nerve in a tense finish to clinch a four-wicket victory over Punjab Kings, chasing down a 164-run target with just one ball to spare in a pulsating IPL 2026 encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
The chase ebbed and flowed throughout before Washington Sundar’s unbeaten 40 off 23 balls sealed the contest in dramatic fashion. With 11 required off the final over, Sundar kept his composure and finished the match with a premeditated scoop for six off Marcus Stoinis over deep backward square leg, capping off a nervy yet controlled chase.
GT’s chase got off to a brisk start despite losing skipper Shubman Gill early to Arshdeep Singh. Sai Sudharsan then anchored the innings with a composed 57 off 41 deliveries, stitching together a crucial 50-run stand with Jos Buttler, who contributed 26. The pair ensured the Titans remained on track through the powerplay and into the middle overs.
However, Punjab Kings fought back through Vijaykumar Vyshak and Marcus Stoinis, picking up key wickets at regular intervals. Buttler’s dismissal triggered a mini-collapse, and when Sudharsan fell soon after reaching his half-century, the pressure shifted firmly onto the Titans. At 128/4 after 16 overs, the equation was still within reach but far from comfortable.
Washington Sundar then played a decisive hand, mixing calculated aggression with smart strike rotation. He found timely boundaries, including two fortuitous fours off Marco Jansen, and ensured the required rate never spiralled out of control. The dismissal of Rahul Tewatia and Jason Holder in the death overs kept Punjab Kings in the hunt, but Sundar found support in Arshad Khan, who contributed a handy unbeaten 8.
Punjab Kings’ bowlers, particularly Arshdeep Singh (2/24) and Vyshak (2/31), kept things tight and made Gujarat work hard for every run. Their disciplined lengths and variations nearly swung the game, especially in the closing overs, where the match went down to the wire.
Earlier in the game, GT delivered a disciplined bowling performance to restrict PBKS to 163/9 as Jason Holder starred with a superb 4/24, while Mohammed Siraj set the tone early with a fiery opening spell.
After being put in to bat, Punjab suffered an early collapse as Siraj dismissed Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly in the first over. Kagiso Rabada compounded the pressure by removing Prabhsimran Singh, leaving PBKS struggling at 35/3 in the powerplay. Holder then struck crucial blows, dismissing Nehal Wadhera and captain Shreyas Iyer to reduce Punjab to 47/5.
A spirited recovery followed through Suryansh Shedge and Marcus Stoinis, who stitched together a vital 79-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Shedge led the counterattack with a blistering 57 off 29 balls, including a 27-run over off Manav Suthar, while Stoinis contributed a steady 40.
Just as Punjab looked set for a strong finish, Gujarat hit back at the death. Rabada broke the stand by removing Shedge, and Holder returned to dismiss Stoinis and pick up another wicket in the same over. Despite a quick cameo from Marco Jansen, Punjab lost wickets regularly and fell short of a bigger total, settling for 163/9.
In the end, the match was decided by fine margins, with the home side holding their composure in crunch moments. Sundar’s calm finish under pressure proved to be the difference, as the Titans secured a crucial win in a tightly contested encounter.
Brief scores: Punjab Kings 163/9 in 20 overs (Suryansh Shedge 57, Marcus Stoinis 40; Jason Holder 4-24, Kagiso Rabada 2-22, Mohammed Siraj 2-28) lost to Gujarat Titans 167/6 in 19.5 overs (Sai Sudharsan 57, Washington Sundar 40 not out; Arshdeep Singh 2-24, Vijaykumar Vyshak 2-31) by four wickets.
–IANS
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