IPL 2026: Punjab Kings (PBKS) clinched a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the fourth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Tuesday, March 31.
PBKS all-rounder Cooper Connolly was named Player of the Match following his unbeaten knock of 72 runs from 44 balls at a strike rate of 163.64. He struck five fours and five sixes during his innings.
The debutant seals it in style! ?@PunjabKingsIPL clinch a thriller in New Chandigarh to get their campaign going with a win ❤️
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2026
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/75rCxTCOL1#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #PBKSvGT pic.twitter.com/WqBQNjuvA1
Although Connolly received the POTM award, PBKS spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s performance in the first innings was equally noteworthy. Chahal led the Punjab bowling attack alongside Vijaykumar Vyshak, picking up two wickets in his four-over spell at an economy rate of 7.00.
Chahal dismissed two dangerous GT batters, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler, in the 10th and 16th overs.
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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2026
? A superbly-timed jump from the @PunjabKingsIPL player to grab a stunner! ?
Wicket No. 2⃣ for @yuzi_chahal ☝️
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Speaking on JioStar, former cricketer Anil Kumble explained how Chahal broke the Gujarat Titans’ batting lineup.
Kumble praised Chahal, saying he is “very smart” and highlighted how the spinner varies his line, length, and pace to create pressure.
“Yuzvendra Chahal is very smart. He changes his line, length, varies his speeds—you name it. He didn’t try too many variations in terms of how he set up the batter. He kept bowling slightly wider and was very smart in that sense. He looked at the conditions and then aimed for the bigger side of the ground,” Anil Kumble said.
Kumble added that the dismissals of Gill and Buttler came at the perfect time for Punjab.
“He knew that if someone had to take him on that side, they had to connect really well, which they couldn’t. Those wickets of Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler came at the right time for Punjab Kings, because Gill was looking good to capitalise on a strong start. Unfortunately for GT, their usual approach of having one batter anchor through 15 overs, which generally gives them an advantage, didn’t quite work out,” he added.
Yuzvendra Chahal has played 175 matches and bowled in 173 innings in his IPL career, taking 223 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95 and a bowling average of 22.69.
