Gujarat Titans once again took the hard route in pursuing a middling total, overcoming a catastrophic middle-order slump - only by a whisker - to claim a four-wicket win over Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The task of chasing 164-runs was tailor-made for B. Sai Sudharsan’s calibrated approach. The southpaw struck another half century (57, 41b, 5x4, 1x6) and was the constant in neatly compiled partnerships after skipper Shubman Gill fell early.
However, Sudharsan’s dismissal in the 15th over left the door open for PBKS to snatch a result.
Arshdeep Singh delivered the breakthrough that is often needed in defending such scores. He created an angle away from Gill from over the wicket and lured him to chase a delivery from outside off.
GT vs PBKS - Highlights
But Jos Buttler and Sudharsan ensured GT did not fall behind the asking rate. If Sudharsan’s measured cover-drive off Xavier Bartlett in the first over was of the classic mould, his ramp off Marco Jansen over short third came from his reserve for the daring.
B. Sai Sudharsan stuck a well-compiled half-century to marshal GT’s chase. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI
B. Sai Sudharsan stuck a well-compiled half-century to marshal GT’s chase. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI
Buttler came firing off the blocks with two maximums, first with a chip over covers off Jansen and then a lap against Bartlett.
PBKS thought it had a small window when Buttler fluffed a drive to mid off against Vyshak Vijaykumar, but it was shut out quickly by Nishant Sindhu’s pull off the same bowler.
In dewy conditions, Yuzvendra Chahal was held back till the 14th over and Sudharsan duly grabbed the match-up by pocketing two boundaries off sweep shots.
But the game turned on its head after Sudharsan and Rahul Tewatia holed out to deep square leg in similar fashion off Vyshak and Jansen, respectively.
Jason Holder looked set to prevent any further twists, but only till he was snaffled at long on in the penultimate over, leaving GT to get 11 off the final six balls. It was finally down to Washington Sundar (40, 23b, 5x4, 1x6) to hold his nerve and end the chase with a lap off a full toss from Marcus Stoinis.
But a last-over nail-biter was the least probable outcome when Suryansh Shedge (57, 29b, 3x4, 5x6) and Stoinis were asked to steer PBKS from 47 for five.
Their 79-run sixth-wicket partnership was in dire need after PBKS’ top-order was made to sweat by the Titans’ pacers on a green surface.
Shedge plundered 26 runs off Manav Suthar, which included two full-bladed hits down the ground and pull shot to clear deep midwicket. The intent rubbed off on Stoinis, who deposited Rashid Khan into the sight screen.
With a whip over square leg, Shedge had just begun to take on Kagiso Rabada when the pacer foxed him with a bouncer and forced his ramp into the hands of Buttler.
Though Holder (four for 24) nabbed Stoinis and Bartlett off consecutive deliveries, the Kings ended the innings with their tails up courtesy of Jansen’s 13-run onslaught against Rashid in the final over.
Earlier in the innings, Gujarat Titans pacers came up bang for their buck as PBKS managed its lowest Powerplay score of the season (35 for three).
Mohammed Siraj snared Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly inside the first three balls. Arya was tempted by width and holed out to the trap set at deep point, only one delivery after surviving a leading edge that Buttler nearly pocketed. Connolly was no match for an inswinger which got an inside edge to the keeper.
Rabada bookended the PowerPlay with a wicket-maiden that accounted for Prabhsimran Singh.
PBKS sank further after Shreyas Iyer, who was plotting to navigate the tumultuous period with singles, chopped a length ball from Holder onto his stumps in the seventh over.
But thanks to Shedge, PBKS lived to fight on despite the sloppy start.
Published on May 03, 2026