Toss & Conditions

The match is on pitch No. 5 in Ahmedabad, and it is expected to be high-scoring based on the only IPL game on this surface this season. Over the last two IPL seasons and the recent World Cup, this pitch has favoured fast bowlers on average compared to spinners, with a similar economy rate but a much better bowling average for pace.

Head-to-Head

PBKS lead the last three meetings 2-1. In the most recent clash, PBKS won by 3 wickets with 5 balls remaining after chasing down a target of 163. The game turned on a tight finish where PBKS got over the line with wickets in hand late. Across these three games, results have swung both ways, including one GT win by 3 wickets and two PBKS wins.

PBPunjab Kings 165/7

GTGujarat Titans 162/6

2026-03-31 · PBKS won by 3 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

GTGujarat Titans 232/5

PBPunjab Kings 243/5

2025-03-25 · PBKS won by 11 runs

PBPunjab Kings 142/10

GTGujarat Titans 146/7

2024-04-21 · GT won by 3 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

Gujarat Titans

GT are 5th in the IPL regular season on 10 points. They have won their last two matches, including a chase where they won with 25 balls remaining. Their most recent loss was a 5-wicket defeat to RCB with 7 balls remaining.

GTGujarat Titans 158/6

RCRoyal Challengers Bengaluru 155/10

2026-04-30 · GT won by 4 wickets (with 25 balls remaining)

GTGujarat Titans 162/2

CSChennai Super Kings 158/7

2026-04-26 · GT won by 8 wickets (with 20 balls remaining)

GTGujarat Titans 205/3

RCRoyal Challengers Bengaluru 206/5

2026-04-24 · RCB won by 5 wickets (with 7 balls remaining)

Punjab Kings

PBKS are 1st in the IPL regular season on 13 points and currently in the playoff zone. They have won two of their last three, but their latest match ended in a loss after they failed to defend 222. Just before that, they won a chase against Delhi Capitals with 7 balls remaining.

PBPunjab Kings 222/4

RRRajasthan Royals 228/4

2026-04-28 · RR won by 6 wickets (with 4 balls remaining)

PBPunjab Kings 265/4

DCDelhi Capitals 264/2

2026-04-25 · PBKS won by 6 wickets (with 7 balls remaining)

PBPunjab Kings 254/7

LSLucknow Super Giants 200/5

2026-04-19 · PBKS won by 54 runs

Playing XI

News & Facts

Key Stats

Verdict

All four models favour PBKS, with the model average at PBKS 60% (range 57–64%). Bookmakers also lean PBKS, pricing PBKS at 54% (1.77) vs GT at 46% (2.07). Key stats favour PBKS 5-2 overall, driven by their edge on points, NRR, Elo, and the last-three head-to-head. The match is likely to hinge on whether PBKS’ bowling issues can hold up against a GT side that relies heavily on its top order.

Holder rips out the spine

Jason Holder’s 4/24 turned a flat-looking innings into a chaseable target, and Gujarat Titans just about held their nerve to beat Punjab Kings by 4 wickets with one ball remaining. Punjab briefly threatened to flip it late, but Titans’ top-order base kept the chase on track even as wickets fell in clumps through the middle.

Powerplay damage, then control

The match swung hardest in Punjab’s powerplay, where they stumbled to 35/3 and spent the rest of the innings trying to repair. Even with a 79-run stand between Suryansh Shedge and Marcus Stoinis dragging them back, the early holes meant Punjab couldn’t fully cash in at the death, finishing 163/9. By contrast, Titans’ 58/1 powerplay gave them a cushion that absorbed a mid-innings wobble and left a manageable finish.

Sudharsan anchors, Shedge counterpunches

Sudharsan’s 57 off 41 underpinned the pursuit, and his 52-run partnership with Jos Buttler set the tone for a chase that always had a path. For Punjab, Shedge’s 57 off 29 was the innings’ spark, turning a crawl into a contest alongside Stoinis’ 40. But Holder’s strikes at key moments — including the middle-overs squeeze that forced Punjab into catch-up mode — proved the difference when the finish tightened.

Why the script flipped

Pre-match numbers leaned Punjab: better recent away results, stronger ratings, and a perceived edge in match-ups. But those advantages depend on getting a functional batting platform and defending with control at the top. Punjab did neither. Their top order was dislodged early, and Titans’ chase was built on a more stable start, with Sai Sudharsan’s tempo ensuring the required rate never ran away even when the middle overs slowed.