Punjab Kings, on Tuesday, began their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign on a high note with a thrilling three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in front of a home crowd-packed stadium. The team’s all-round bowling performance, combined with debutant Cooper Connolly’s resilient efforts helped the Kings register their maiden victory of the season.
Winning the toss and deciding to bowl first, PBKS put up a disciplined bowling performance to restrict the Titans to the score of 162/6. Fast bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak led the bowling attack, taking 3 crucial wickets while giving away 34 runs to break the opposition’s momentum and set a strong foundation.
On the batting front, the Australian youngster Cooper Connolly, who was making his IPL debut, anchored the innings, smashing an unbeaten 72 runs off just 44 balls. With his match-winning knock featuring 5 fours and 5 sixes, Punjab Kings successfully chased down the total with five balls to spare to secure their first win of the tournament.
Speaking after his match-winning debut, Connolly explained his calm mindset during the high-pressure chase. “I think it is just about reacting to what is in front of me and playing the game. I just try to look at the scoreboard every now and then and react to the ball, because that is when I play my best,” Connolly said.
The debutant, who noted that hitting Rashid Khan for a six was his favourite shot of the night, also lauded the collective effort of the squad, while also appreciating the immense support of the home crowd.
“It is always nice to put my best foot forward for the team, but it was a true team effort, especially with the ball. We want to keep putting on a show for the fans, and hopefully, we did that tonight,” he further added.
Fast bowler Vyshak also shared his thoughts on his impressive spell and credited the team leadership, including captain Shreyas Iyer and Arshdeep Singh, for his success.
“Getting that first wicket gives you a lot of confidence. My three wickets were really well planned, and Shreyas bhai came to me and spoke to me, along with Arshdeep, to help me execute my plans better. Now we will take one game at a time. What is done is done. Tomorrow is a new opponent, and we want to play with a champion mindset against Chennai and continue playing the way we have been doing since last year,” Vyshak said.
Punjab Kings will next face Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, April 3.
