Yesterday IPL Match Result: Connolly holds nerve as PBKS edge GT in thriller

New Chandigarh, Tuesday: A nerve-shredding final over, a three-wicket margin, and a 22-year-old Australian playing only his fourth IPL game—Punjab Kings’ pursuit of 163 against Gujarat Titans had every ingredient of a classic. Cooper Connolly emerged as the unlikely hero, finishing 72 not out off 44 balls to seal victory with five deliveries to spare and keep the home crowd on its feet at the PCA Stadium.

Punjab’s chase began at break-neck speed. Prabhsimran Singh and Connolly hammered 76 inside the Powerplay, including four sixes in the first four overs—one more than Gujarat managed in their entire 20 overs. The required rate dipped below six, and the Titans looked out of answers.

Enter Prasidh Krishna. Introduced as Gujarat’s impact player in the 12th over, the fast bowler produced a spell that flipped the contest on its head. Three wickets in ten legitimate balls—two of them in the same over—left Punjab reeling at 98 for 5. When the sixth wicket fell four runs later, the asking rate had crept above a run a ball and the stadium had fallen silent.

Connolly, however, refused to panic. The left-hander farmed the strike, picked the gaps, and found two decisive allies in Marco Jansen and debutant Xavier Bartlett. The pair added 31 in 21 balls, Bartlett contributing only 7 but rotating the strike flawlessly. Needing 14 off the last two overs, Connolly twice cleared Rashid Khan over the rope—once over long-on and once over cover—to extinguish any lingering doubt.

“To put that performance in tonight, very happy,” Connolly said after collecting the Player-of-the-Match award. “I’m more of a tempo player, so I just tried to stay calm and wait for the boundary balls.”

Earlier, Gujarat’s 162 for 6 had looked competitive for long stretches. Captain Shubman Gill caressed 39 off 28 balls and shared a 67-run stand with Jos Buttler, who made 38. Yet once Yuzvendra Chahal removed both set batsmen in the space of nine balls, the innings lost momentum. Vijaykumar Vyshak varied his pace cleverly through the middle overs, and Punjab conceded only 34 in the final five, leaving the Titans roughly 15 short of what they believed was par.

The result lifts Punjab into the top half of the IPL 2026 table after four games, while Gujarat have now lost back-to-back thrillers. Attention now turns to Day 5, when Lucknow Super Giants host Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Stadium—another venue that has become synonymous with last-over drama this season.