Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yuzvendra Chahal were the architects of a brilliant first innings ©BCCI.
What a night at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium. The PBKS vs GT Match 4 of the Indian Premier League 2026 had everything a cricket fan could want — smart bowling, controlled aggression, a near-collapse, and a finish that had 30,000 fans biting their nails right until the final over.
Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yuzvendra Chahal were the architects of a brilliant first innings performance that held Gujarat Titans to just 162/6. Then Punjab Kings made the chase far more dramatic than it needed to be, losing wickets in a cluster before Cooper Connolly’s brilliant unbeaten 72 dragged them over the line with 5 balls to spare.
The ipl live score trackers went berserk in the final five overs. The live cricket score today match IPL had PBKS needing 31 runs off the last 3 overs with 3 wickets in hand. It was chaotic, nervy, and wonderful. Punjab Kings found a way.
How Vyshak and Chahal Choked the Gujarat Titans
Punjab Kings won the toss and made the correct call — they chose to bowl first in what were humid, partly cloudy conditions with occasional showers. The match preview had suggested that a score around 165–175 would be competitive here, and PBKS’s bowlers executed that plan almost perfectly.
Vijaykumar Vyshak was the match-winner with the ball. He finished with a remarkable 3 wickets for 34 runs from 4 overs — the wickets of Glenn Phillips (caught for 25), Washington Sundar (caught for 18), and Shahrukh Khan (caught for 0) all falling to Vyshak. His yorkers in the 19th over were devastatingly accurate, conceding just 6 runs and picking up 2 wickets to end Gujarat Titans’ late-innings acceleration.
Yuzvendra Chahal did what Chahal always does — he turned up when it mattered most. The leg-spinner bowled beautifully in the middle overs, finishing with 2 wickets for 28 runs from 4 overs. He dismissed Shubman Gill for 39 — the key breakthrough — and later had Jos Buttler stumped for 38. His economy rate of just 7 on a good batting surface was outstanding.
Marco Jansen was also excellent, picking up the wicket of Sai Sudharsan for 13 and conceding just 20 runs from his 4 overs at a miserly economy of 5.00. Punjab Kings’ bowling as a unit was wonderfully disciplined and their ability to chip away at wickets regularly was the cornerstone of the performance.
GT's Top Four — Chipping Away at the Wickets
This was the key story of the Gujarat Titans innings. PBKS chipped away regularly at the wickets as three of GT’s top four got to 25 without any of them getting to 40.
Shubman Gill made 39 off 27 — he looked composed, struck the ball well, but Chahal ended his innings just before he could cut loose. Sai Sudharsan managed just 13. Jos Buttler scored 38 off 33 — not his most explosive self but contributing steadily. Glenn Phillips hit 25 off 17, looking dangerous before Vyshak removed him. Washington Sundar battled for 18 off 16.
The pattern was clear. Every time Gujarat Titans looked like building momentum, Punjab Kings took a wicket. There were no partnerships that lasted long enough to shift the balance. Not a single GT batter reached 40. When you are restricted to 162 with the batting talent Gujarat Titans have, it is a victory for the bowling side.
The weather conditions also played a role. There were showers around the ground, the pitch had moisture, and the breeze assisted both pace and spin. Vyshak and Chahal exploited these conditions brilliantly.
Cooper Connolly Steals the Chase
If the first innings belonged to Vyshak and Chahal, the second innings was the Cooper Connolly show. The Australian all-rounder walked in at No. 3 and never left — finishing unbeaten on 72 off 44 balls. Five sixes and five fours. A strike rate of 163. Cool, unflustered, match-winning.
Around him, PBKS batters came and went. Prabhsimran Singh hit 37 off 24, including four sixes, in a crucial 76-run second-wicket stand. Shreyas Iyer added 18 off 11 with 2 sixes before falling. Then the middle order crumbled — Nehal Wadhera (3 off 6), Shashank Singh (4 off 5), and Marcus Stoinis (0 off 2) all fell cheaply, and suddenly the live score showed PBKS at 113/6 off 14.5 overs, still needing 50 runs from 31 balls.
That is when Connolly dug in. He kept rotating the strike, hitting boundaries when needed, and never let the required rate spiral out of control. With Xavier Bartlett chipping in with 11 off 5, the pair got Punjab home with 5 balls to spare.
Prasidh Krishna was outstanding for Gujarat Titans with 3 wickets for 29 runs from 4 controlled overs. Rashid Khan took 1 wicket and was difficult to score off. But it was not quite enough on a day when the GT batting fell short.
Top Performers at a Glance
GT's Innings — Overs Flow
The chart tells the story of both innings perfectly. GT started brightly in the powerplay with 37 runs but were restricted through the middle overs as Chahal and Jansen operated. They accelerated late but Vyshak’s 19th over — 2 wickets for 6 runs — capped them at 162.
PBKS started slowly, then Connolly and Prabhsimran exploded in the middle phase, before the collapse. The two lines converging in the final overs captures the tension of the finish beautifully.
What This IPL Result Means Going Forward
The PBKS vs GT IPL 2026 result means Punjab Kings open their account with 2 points and a positive NRR. The IPL 2026 cricket updates after this match show PBKS establishing themselves as a serious top-four contender early in the season.
For Gujarat Titans, the match analysis shows a bowling unit that performed — Prasidh Krishna’s 3 wickets were excellent — but a batting lineup that failed to capitalise. Shubman Gill’s 39 was watchful rather than dominating, and three of the top four getting to 25 without passing 40 is a recurring concern for the franchise. When no one bats long, 162 is always going to be under par at New Chandigarh.
Today’s IPL match live scorecard also highlights Cooper Connolly as a name to watch in IPL 2026. The Australian youngster was composed, powerful, and decisive when it mattered. Punjab Kings have found themselves a genuine match-winner down the order.
The IPL updates from both camps will be fascinating. Punjab will want to work on a more reliable middle-order batting structure. Gujarat will look to have their big players go on — not just to 25 or 39, but to 60, 70 and beyond.
Weather and Conditions
The weather report for the match noted showers around the venue, partly cloudy skies, a breeze, and a pitch with some moisture. Those conditions favoured the bowling side early, which is why Punjab Kings’ decision to bowl first was a smart one. The dew factor was minimal given the cloud cover, making defending a realistic option for GT. As the match progressed and the surface dried out, chasing became easier — which worked in PBKS’s favour even though they made the chase unnecessarily dramatic.
Conclusion
Vyshak and Chahal restrict GT to 162 is the headline, but Cooper Connolly completing the heist is the story. Punjab Kings showed character, resilience, and match-winning quality under pressure in IPL 2026. Gujarat Titans showed that their batting, despite its quality on paper, needs to convert good starts into big ones.
This was not a perfect performance from PBKS. But in T20 cricket, you don’t need to be perfect — you just need to win. And on a night of showers, nerves, and near-misses at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Punjab Kings found a way. Two points. Three wins to go until the playoffs picture becomes clear. The IPL 2026 season is already delivering everything fans hoped for.
