New Chandigarh, March 31 (NationPress) In a thrilling start to IPL 2026, debutant Cooper Connolly scored his first half-century, leading the Punjab Kings to chase down a target of 163 runs in just 19.1 overs, securing a nail-biting three-wicket victory against the Gujarat Titans at the PCA's New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Tuesday.

The Punjab Kings faced an early challenge when impact player Priyansh Arya fell for 7 runs off 8 balls in the second over, courtesy of Kagiso Rabada.

Opener Prabhsimran Singh quickly retaliated, hitting consecutive sixes off Rabada in the fourth over. Connolly joined the onslaught, hitting two sixes as the team reached 55/1 at the end of the Power-play. The pair maintained a strong partnership, adding 76 runs for the second wicket, pushing the score close to 100.

The partnership ended in the 10th over when Rashid Khan took Prabhsimran's wicket for a brisk 37 runs off 24 balls. Captain Shreyas Iyer kept the momentum going with two sixes but fell to Prasidh Krishna in the 13th over.

The Gujarat Titans made a robust comeback by securing quick wickets, dismissing Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, and Marcus Stoinis. Krishna and Washington Sundar were among the successful bowlers.

Despite the collapses, Connolly displayed composure and notched his first IPL fifty in just 34 balls. He finished unbeaten at 72 runs off 44 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes, guiding Punjab to victory with Xavier Bartlett (11 not out) with five balls remaining.

For the Titans, Krishna was the standout bowler, ending with figures of 3-29, while Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Rashid Khan, and Sundar took one wicket each.

Earlier, fast bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak shone with three wickets, while Yuzvendra Chahal contributed two, helping Punjab restrict the Gujarat Titans to 162/6 in their 20 overs.

Despite a robust start from the Titans, with Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan scoring freely to reach 35/0 in three overs, Punjab struck early when Marco Jansen dismissed Sudharsan for 13.

Gill added stability alongside Jos Buttler, reaching 54/1 by the end of the powerplay. Though Gill started aggressively, he later slowed down to anchor the innings before being dismissed for 39 runs off 27 balls by Yuzvendra Chahal in the 10th over.

Glenn Phillips attempted to accelerate with a quick 25 runs off 17 balls but fell victim to Vyshak. Buttler continued to stabilize the innings but was dismissed for 38 runs off 33 balls by Chahal in the 16th over.

Washington Sundar struggled for runs, managing only 18 off 16 balls before falling late in the innings.

Vyshak was exceptional with the ball, ending with 3-34 in four overs, while Chahal provided essential support with two wickets. Punjab's disciplined bowling ensured that the Gujarat Titans were kept in check despite their promising 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.