Gujarat Titans held their nerve in a tense finish to clinch a four-wicket victory over Punjab Kings, chasing down a 167-run target with just one ball remaining in a pulsating IPL 2026 encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 3 May. Washington Sundar's unbeaten 40 off 23 balls, capped by a premeditated scoop for six off Marcus Stoinis over deep backward square leg with 11 required from the final over, sealed the contest in dramatic fashion.

Sudharsan steadies the 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, keeping the required rate manageable.

Punjab fight back, but Sundar holds firm

Punjab Kings fought back through Vijaykumar Vyshak and 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 remained within reach but far from comfortable. Sundar then played a decisive hand, mixing calculated aggression with smart strike rotation and finding timely boundaries, including two fortuitous fours off Marco Jansen, to ensure the required rate never spiralled out of control.

Death-over drama decides the match

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's 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 final delivery.

Holder's four-wicket haul restricts Punjab

Earlier, 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.

Shedge-Stoinis stand offers brief respite

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 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, leaving PBKS at 163/9.

What it means

The Titans secured a crucial win in a tightly contested encounter, with Sundar's calm finish under pressure proving to be the difference. The victory strengthens GT's position in the IPL 2026 standings, while Punjab Kings will rue the missed opportunity despite fighting back late in the chase.