Gujarat Titans held their nerve in a tense final over to defeat Punjab Kings by four wickets in an IPL clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, chasing down 164 with one ball to spare.
The win takes Gujarat Titans to sixth place with six wins and four losses, totalling 12 points. Punjab Kings continue to lead the table with 13 points from six wins, two losses and one no result.
Opting to bowl first, Gujarat Titans were led by a clinical spell from Jason Holder, who returned figures of 4/24 to restrict Punjab Kings to 163/9 in 20 overs. Despite early setbacks, Punjab recovered through a 79-run sixth-wicket partnership between Marcus Stoinis and Suryansh Shedge.
Stoinis scored 40 off 31 balls, hitting five fours and a six, while Shedge counter-attacked with 57 off 29 balls, including three fours and five sixes. Their stand briefly shifted momentum after Punjab were reduced to 66/5 in 12 overs.
Earlier, Mohammed Siraj struck twice in the opening over, dismissing Priyansh Arya (2) and Cooper Connolly for a golden duck, reducing Punjab to 2/2. Kagiso Rabada and Holder kept up the pressure, with Rabada finishing with 2/22 and Siraj with 2/28.
© instagram.com/punjabkingsiplCaptain Shreyas Iyer (19 off 21) and Prabhsimran Singh (15 off 14) attempted to stabilise the innings, but regular wickets kept Punjab in check. Shedge’s aggressive knock lifted the total, but Holder’s late double strike ensured Punjab were restricted to their lowest first-innings total of the season.
Chasing 164, Gujarat Titans got off to a shaky start as Shubman Gill (5) fell early to Arshdeep Singh. At 12/1, the pressure was on, but Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler steadied the innings with a brisk 57-run partnership.
Sudharsan anchored the chase with a composed 57 off 41 balls, striking five fours and a six. Buttler contributed 21 before falling, and debutant Nishant Sindhu made 15.
Sudharsan reached his third fifty of the season in 37 balls but was dismissed at 124/4, leaving Gujarat with work to do. The match tightened as wickets fell at regular intervals, including Rahul Tewatia (5) and Holder (5), leaving Gujarat at 152/6.
With 11 needed in the final over, Gujarat kept their composure. A wide and a boundary reduced the equation, and Washington Sundar sealed the match with a six, finishing unbeaten on 40 off 23 balls, which included five fours and a six. Arshad Khan remained not out on 8.
Arshdeep Singh (2/24) and Vijaykumar Vyshak (2/31) were the standout bowlers for Punjab Kings, but their efforts fell short in the final moments.
Brief Scores:
Punjab Kings 163/9 (Suryansh Shedge 57, Marcus Stoinis 40; Jason Holder 4/24)
lost to
Gujarat Titans 167/6 in 19.5 overs (Sai Sudharsan 57, Washington Sundar 40*; Arshdeep Singh 2/24)
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