New Delhi: Washington Sundar displayed remarkable composure as he guided the Gujarat Titans to a thrilling victory over the Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 3. Sundar’s unbeaten 40 runs helped the Titans chase down a target of 164 runs, clinching the match with a four-wicket win on the penultimate delivery.
The Titans faced a flurry of wickets during the chase, ultimately needing 11 runs from the final over. Arshad Khan, who was batting with Sundar, effectively managed the strike. Sundar struck a four off Marcus Stoinis’s yorker on the second ball, followed by a couple of runs and a single to retain the strike. With three runs required from the last two balls, Sundar executed a scooped six over fine leg to secure the victory for the Gujarat Titans, marking their third consecutive win and bolstering their playoff aspirations. In contrast, this defeat marked the second consecutive loss for Punjab Kings, who had previously succumbed to the Rajasthan Royals.
Sai Sudharsan Sets the Stage with Fifty
Sai Sudharsan was instrumental in establishing the run chase with a measured 57 runs off 41 balls. Following the early dismissal of skipper Shubman Gill by Arshdeep Singh, Sudharsan partnered with Jos Buttler to form a 53-run stand for the second wicket. Buttler, who scored 25, played aggressively, hitting a six off both Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett, before falling to Vyshak Vijayakumar, with Shreyas Iyer taking the catch.
Sudharsan maintained his cool throughout the innings and registered his third fifty of IPL 2026 off just 37 balls, achieving the milestone with two boundaries off Yuzvendra Chahal. However, he was later dismissed by Bartlett while attempting to pull a delivery from Vyshak. Rahul Tewatia’s wicket added to the late-game tension, leaving the Gujarat Titans needing 11 runs in the final over. Sundar, with a solid 40 off 23 balls, sealed the win with a scooped six off Stoinis.
Shedge Leads PBKS to 169/9
Earlier in the match, despite a well-crafted fifty from Suryansh Shedge, the Punjab Kings were restricted to 163 for nine. Shedge’s quickfire 29-ball fifty was key in a 79-run partnership with Marcus Stoinis (40), which helped PBKS recover from a difficult position. Demonstrating his experience as a finisher in domestic cricket, Shedge played with poise against a disciplined Titans bowling attack.
While respecting the bowlers and conditions early on, he capitalized on opportunities, particularly in the 14th over from Manav Suthar, where he scored 26 runs off six deliveries, bringing up his fifty in just 24 balls. However, his innings concluded shortly after as he edged a delivery from Kagiso Rabada (2/22) to Jos Buttler, leading to another collapse for PBKS.
Mohammed Siraj began the Titans’ innings strongly, taking the wickets of Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly off consecutive balls in the opening over. Arya nicked a delivery to debutant Nishant Sandhu, while Connolly edged behind to Buttler. Prabhsimran Singh quickly followed suit, misjudging a 152 kmph delivery from Rabada, which he scooped to Suthar.
Jason Holder added pressure by dismissing Nehal Wadhera and captain Shreyas Iyer through sharp bowling. Wadhera edged a ball to Buttler, while Iyer was trapped LBW while attempting a guide shot. Marco Jansen provided late resistance with two powerful hits off Rashid Khan in the final over, helping Punjab surpass the 160-run mark.
