PBKS vs GT Match 4 Commentary - New Chandigarh (31 March 2026)

 FOUR! That's it! A poetic end to what has been an extremely competitive game of cricket in New Chandigarh. And it is the 22-year-old Aussie who stands tall at the end, repaying his team’s faith at number three with a debut knock that will be remembered for a long time. Sundar fires it in, full and on the off stump line. Cooper Connolly presses forward and executes a high-quality cover drive, through the gap between cover and point for a boundary to finish things off in style. Cooper Connolly stays unbeaten on 72 off just 44 balls. PUNJAB KINGS WIN BY 3 WICKETS!

 SIX! Bartlett says, I can sort this out, mate! Krishna goes into the pitch at pace, on top of off. Xavier Bartlett waits on it, stands tall and confidently pulls it flatly behind deep mid-wicket for a cracking six. That is such a magnificent shot by the tailender. 150 UP FOR PUNJAB KINGS! 10 needed off 11 balls now.

Pitched a little fuller, on off, Xavier Bartlett gets on the front foot and drives it to short cover where Kagiso Rabada makes a fumble while diving, and allows a single.

 FOUR! JUST OVER! Pace off and short into the bodyline. Cooper Connolly waits for the ball to arrive, and pulls it. Hits it more off the top edge, but he manages to clear the fielder at short fine leg and finds the fence. The Kings are in touching distance of getting a famous win. 5 needed from 9 balls.

Tries the yorker, but it ends in a low full toss, on middle. Cooper Connolly laces it through covers for a single.

Short and outside off, with a bit of pace taken off. Xavier Bartlett drags it across and aerially with a pull shot to deep mid-wicket for a single.

An attempted yorker, aimed at the toes. Cooper Connolly nicely nudges it down to long on for a single and retains the strike. 14 runs from Prasidh Krishna's last over. He ends his spell with figures of 4-0-29-3.

Back of a length, on off. Cooper Connolly throws everything at it, trying to pull, but slices it over mid off for a single. 

 Play and a miss! Short of a good length, fairly outside off. Marco Jansen looks to smash it past cover, but misses as the ball nips away from him. A precious dot ball.

WIDE! Tries to keep the ball away from the arc, but Ashok misses his radar completely and sprays it beyond the tramline. Marco lets it be. Wide given. 19 needed off 16 balls.

Good comeback by the debutant! Hard length, at 141.8 kph, on top of off. Marco Jansen stands tall and bunts it watchfully back to the bowler.

OUT! CAUGHT! Thrown into the furnace, Ashok Sharma has provided a crucial breakthrough and has justified his captain's trust in him. A slower ball from Sharma, on a length, outside off. Marco Jansen backs away a bit to create room to go up and over cover, but ends up hitting it early and half-heartedly. Chips it to the right of cover where Shubman Gill takes a fine catch under pressure. Punjab Kings are 144/7, needing 19 runs from 14 balls.

At pace and on a length in that corridor outside off, Bartlett leans forward and eases it with soft hands, guiding it through mid-wicket for a couple. Rashid charges in from deep mid-wicket but cannot cut it off cleanly, and the batters are up and running for the second.

Straighter and fuller, on middle, Bartlett flicks it through square leg for a single.

Nagging length, at 136.2 kph, on off. Marco Jansen taps it back to the bowler.

SIX! Out come the long levers! Back of a length from Krishna, on top of middle. Marco Jansen gets the ball at a comfortable height and with no intentions to keep it down, he heaves it over long on for a massive six. 

WIDE! The pressure is reversed on the bowler now! Krishna tries the slower one, wide outside off and full, but it breaches the tramline. Jansen leaves. Wide called. 23 needed off 22 balls now.

Full and straight, around off, Marco Jansen crisply drives to long off for a single.

Nails the yorker in, does Prasidh, from around the stump. Cooper Connolly carves it out to extra cover. Jansen sniffs a single, but Connolly is going nowhere.

Spears one on a fuller length, on middle. Cooper Connolly tries to whip it over square leg, but inside edges onto the front pad. The ball rolls in front of square on the off side and they cross over for a single.

A bit of a harsh call and Gujarat Titans straightaway opt for a review for a wide given. Seeing Jansen shuffling outside leg, Prasidh rolls his fingers on the leather and bangs it short, outside off. Marco lets it pass and a wide is signalled. The revised guideline confirms that the ball is passing well within that and it is deemed a fair delivery.

 FOUR! That's an extraordinary shot from this kid! FIFTY FOR COOPER CONNOLLY! What a way to announce himself on his IPL debut. Back of a length, outside off. Connolly climbs on it and nails the square cut to perfection, through the short third and backward point gap for a crisp boundary. A gem of a knock from the young Aussie, despite whatever's unraveled on the other end. His presence till the end is of utmost importance for the Punjab Kings now.

Touch fullish, around off, Cooper Connolly drives it to deep point for a single.

Nice and full, on off, driven to mid off.

Hard length, on top of off, Marco Jansen backs away and runs it to deep backward point for a single.

 Smell that leather, mate! A pinpoint short ball, on the bodyline, cramping the batter for room. Cooper Connolly drops down his wrists and lets it fly back to Buttler.

 SIX! This is just high quality batting from the debutant! Short from KG Rabada again, but this time, Connolly is well-prepared for it. Stands tall, gets under the ball and pulls it behind deep square leg for a mammoth six. Punjab Kings need 30 from 24 balls.

Fuller and on middle, Shashank Singh tucks it away to short mid-wicket.

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Prasidh Krishna's golden arm works again. He hits the length hard at around 137 clicks, on off, gets some extra bounce as well. Shashank Singh stays back and tries to run it down to third man, but only manages to get a thin outside edge behind, where Jos Buttler takes an easy catch. Punjab Kings have lost their last 3 wickets for just 8 runs, and GT are clawing their way back here.

Good length and on middle, angling in, Marcus Stoinis blocks it out.

OUT! TAKEN! What actually is happening here? Punjab Kings are losing their way here, and Prasidh Krishna gets his third now. He bangs this into the pitch and just outside off. Much like Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis tries to upper cut it towards third man, but does not go through the shot fully. He looks to time it but ends up giving an easy catch to Rashid Khan at third man. A two-baller for Stoinis and Punjab are feeling the pressure now.

Back of a length and outside off, Marco Jansen punches it to sweeper cover for one.

WIDE! Slower bouncer, on middle, but too high, Cooper Connolly ducks under it. Wided.

Touch fuller and around off, Cooper Connolly drives it on the up through covers for one more.

OUT! TAKEN! Washington Sundar gets a wicket now, and suddenly the scene has changed a bit here. This is floated, full and around off, Nehal Wadhera goes inside out to loft it over cover but gets too close to the ball. He fails to get the elevation and hits it hard but straight to Shubman Gill at short cover, who takes a sharp catch. The Titans are pulling things back now.

Flighted, full and on middle, Shashank Singh flicks it away through backward square leg for a brace.

Flatter, full and on middle, Shashank Singh eases it to long on for a run.

Fires this one full and down the leg, Cooper Connolly fails to clip it away and gets hit on the pads.

Quicker one, full and on leg, Cooper Connolly works it through mid-wicket for one.

Shorter in length and on off, Shashank Singh steps across and nudges it through mid-wicket for one more. Just 8 runs and 2 wickets in the last two overs.

OUT! CAUGHT! This is exactly why everyone was wondering where Prasidh Krishna is, as he has the knack of picking wickets. He comes in and strikes on his very first ball. This is fuller and down the leg side. Shreyas Iyer looks to pick it off and whip it away using his wrists, but maybe the injury plays its part here. He fails to get the timing and ends up hitting it straight to deep mid-wicket, where Washington Sundar makes no mistake. Iyer is absolutely livid with himself but has to walk back now. Punjab Kings are 110/3, still needing 53 runs in 47 balls.

On a length and on middle, Nehal Wadhera blocks it out.

Back of a length and on off, Nehal Wadhera dabs it down to point.

Short of a length and outside off, Nehal Wadhera cuts it away to deep point for a brace.

Slower one, full and on middle, Nehal Wadhera tucks it to short mid-wicket.

Great effort! Pitched up and just around off, Nehal Wadhera drives it crisply but cannot keep it down. Sai Sudharsan at short cover flies to his left and tries to grab it with his outstretched hands but fails to hold on to it. It would have been a screamer. They cross.

Floated, short and on middle, Shreyas Iyer moves back and heaves it over deep mid-wicket for a single. 100 UP FOR PBKS!

SIX! Short and punished! Dragged back from Rashid, on middle. Cooper Connolly pounces on it quickly. He uses his fast hands to get under it and smokes it over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

Tossed up, full and on middle, Cooper Connolly works it off the inner half of the bat through square leg for single.

Drops it short and outside off, Shreyas Iyer cuts it to deep point for a run.

Oh..that must have hurt! This is short again and around off, Cooper Connolly absolutely smacks the leather out of the ball, down the ground. It flies in a flash towards Shreyas Iyer at the other end, who instinctively gets his right hand out to save himself, taking a hard blow on it. He is rolling on the ground in agony here.

Another short delivery, outside off, Cooper Connolly punches it with nice timing through cover-point for a brace. Rashid Khan finishes a good spell with figures of 4-0-29-1, amidst all the chaos.

Back of a length and on middle, Shreyas Iyer stays back and pats it to the off side.

SIX! Not in control but goes all the way! Ashok Sharma bangs in quick and sharp bouncer, on middle and leg. Shreyas Iyer gets a bit hurried, takes his eyes off but goes through the hook shot. The ball takes the top edge and flies over fine leg for a biggie.

SIX! Much more in control this time! Short of a length and on middle, angling in, it does not bounce that much. Shreyas Iyer picks up the length early, swivels and pulls it well over the deep square leg fence for half a dozen more.

Back of a length and around off, Shreyas Iyer stabs it out towards extra cover.

Short again and outside off, Shreyas Iyer backs away and slaps it from the toe-end of the bat, but once again fails to beat extra cover.

Hits the length hard and around off, Shreyas Iyer opens the face of his bat and punches it with sweet timing, but only for a single to deep point.

Short, outside off, Prabhsimran Singh cuts it off the back foot to deep backward point for a single.

Flat and quick, full on leg. Cooper Connolly flicks it between long on and deep mid-wicket for a single.

 OUT! IN THE AIR AND CAUGHT! Rashid ends this 76-run partnership and provides a big wicket that the Titans were desperate for. Fuller and flatter on the middle stump line. Prabhsimran Singh shimmies down the track and tries to loft it over the long on fielder, but fails to get underneath it cleanly and mistimes it straight to Prasidh Krishna stationed at long on. Prasidh takes a flat catch in the deep. Punjab Kings are 83/2, needing 80 runs from 63 balls.

Slip and short leg in place. Rashid drops it short of a length outside off, the googly at 90.6 kph. Iyer rocks back to cut it square to the left of sweeper cover for a brace.

Tossed up around off, once again the googly. Iyer prods forward to defend, gets an inside edge towards mid-wicket for a single. 

On middle at 93.3 kph, Cooper Connolly watchfully bunts it into the cover region.

 SIX! The ball is just sailing over the fence! A friendly half volley on the stumps. Prabhsimran Singh with easy pickings there as he drops down on one knee and executes the slog sweep massively over deep mid-wicket for a six.

Into the blockhole, on off, carved past mid off for one.

Slides one into the batter from around the stump. On a length and this is punched straight back at the bowler.

A round-arm delivery, short on the middle stump. Cooper Connolly whips it across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Overpitched outside off. Prabhsimran Singh carves it through cover for an easy run.

Drifts it into the batter, on a length, on off. Cooper Connolly hangs back and stabs it to the right of the bowler. Washington gets across to his right and cuts the ball. Seeing Connolly charge for a single, he gets rid of the ball to the keeper, but Cooper makes home before the throw. Decent comeback by Sundar after being hit for a six in the first ball.

Fires one on a length, on leg. Cooper Connolly is hurried on the back foot, tries to whip it leg side, but wears on the front pad.

 SIX! That's gone many a mile! Dropped short and on off by Rashid. Cooper Connolly stands in his crease with barely any footwork and nails the pull shot over the cow corner fence for a massive six. 

Fuller and on leg at 88.7 kph, Cooper Connolly leans on with a big stride and eases it through mid on for an easy single. Sensible cricket.

Too full, on middle and off. Prabhsimran Singh squeezes it back to the bowler.

A flipper outside off, short in length. Prabhsimran Singh tries to cut it through the point and third man gap, but finds the man at backward point.

Around the pads, on a good length. Prabhsimran Singh gets across and jabs it through backward square leg for a single. Punjab Kings need 91 from 72 balls.

Short from around the stump, on off. Cooper Connolly waits for the ball to grip and then punches it to deep extra cover for a single.

A sharp off break, smidge fuller on off. Prabhsimran Singh tries to slap it through cover, but inside edges onto the back pad.

Wide outside off at 84.4 kph, on a length, Prabhsimran cuts it to deep point for a single. This brings up the 50-run partnership between Singh and Connolly.

Flattens the trajectory and quickens the pace on a shorter length. Cooper Connolly rushes onto the back foot and drags it to long on for a single.

 SIX! Now, that's the shot of a confident batter! Sundar gives the ball some flight and keeps it full and outside off, landing it right in the arc. Prabhsimran Singh gets down on his knee and slogs it cleanly over long off for a big six.

Touch short, outside off. Crisply cut off the back foot by Prabhsimran, but straight to the backward point fielder.

Flatter leg break, on a length, on leg. Cooper Connolly rocks back to whip it across, but misses and wears it on the front thigh pad.

 FOUR! Geez, that's been absolutely smashed! At almost 100 kph, shortish around off. Cooper stands tall, and spanks the ball ruthlessly down the ground for a cracking boundary, to the left of long off.

Short again, on middle. Connolly pulls it aerially on the bounce to long on for a single. He moves to 27 (16).

Quicker leg break, outside off, on a short length. Prabhsimran Singh late cuts it but finds the fielder at short third.

Decision reversed, successfully! Rashid dishes out a flat full ball, right in front of the middle stump and it is the googly as well. Prabhsimran Singh sits down to sweep it away, but it goes very close to the inside edge before the ball raps on the front pad. A confident appeal for LBW, and up goes the finger. However, Prabhsimran Singh is quick enough to review it as he believes there is a nick. And he is right. UltraEdge detects a clear spike when the ball is next to the bat, which saves Prabhsimran Singh.

A short ball, outside off, punched off the back foot to extra cover. Punjab Kings end their Powerplay with 55/1 on the board.

Fuller in length and on middle, Prabhsimran Singh knocks it wide of mid on for a single.

Did that carry? Yes, but a very tough chance. Short of a length and on off, Cooper Connolly swats it hard down the pitch. Ashok Sharma, on his follow-through, gets his left hand down, but the ball just does not stick in.

Short of a length and just outside off, Cooper Connolly gets hurried and ends up chopping it down on the off side.

WIDE! Tries the slower one but spills it way down the leg side, Cooper Connolly goes down and tries to swipe at it but misses. Wided.

SIX! Best shot of the chase so far! Ashok Sharma comes around the wicket, lands this back of a length and just outside off. Cooper Connolly, with a high backlift, gives it a whippage and smashes it over the deep point fence for a biggie.

Takes pace off, hard length and on middle, Cooper Connolly heaves it to deep square leg for a single.

FOUR! Plays the field nicely! Ashok Sharma goes a bit short again, on middle, pace on. Prabhsimran Singh backs away to access the off side. He knows there is no protection in the deep and crunches it over point for another boundary. 50 UP FOR PBKS.

SIX! Take that, says Prabhsimran Singh! Kagiso Rabada goes fuller and on middle, angling in a bit. Singh gets his front leg out of the way and whips it away powerfully over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

SIX MORE! The runs are starting to flow now. Rabada bangs this hard into the deck, but well outside off. Prabhsimran Singh slashes hard at it. The ball takes the top edge and flies all the way over the third man fence for half a dozen more.

Good length and on off, nips back in, Prabhsimran Singh looks to glide it between backward point and short third but ends up hitting it to the former.

Touch fuller and on off, Prabhsimran Singh pushes it towards cover and scampers across for a quick single.

Tries to be cheeky but no execution! An off-cutter, on a length and around off, Cooper Connolly shuffles across to play the scoop but misses due to the lack of pace.

SIX! The Aussie gets going now! This is fuller delivery, on off. Cooper Connolly stays still this time. He extends his arms to get under it and clubs it over the long off fence for his maiden IPL six. 19 runs off the over.

Back of a length and just outside off, angling away, Cooper Connolly slashes hard at it but fails to connect.

Hits the length hard and around off, Cooper Connolly punches it through extra covers for a single.

On a length and on middle, angling into the pads, Prabhsimran Singh glances it straight to short fine. A bit to either side and it would have been a boundary.

Length again, on off, Prabhsimran Singh pats it to the off side for a quick run.

Just over! A bit fuller and on middle, Cooper Connolly looks to loft it but mistimes his shot. The ball just goes over the head of Kagiso Rabada at mid on, who chases after it and dives into an imaginary pool to make the stop just before the ropes. Two taken.

FOUR! Finds the gap this time! Siraj pulls his length back slightly, on middle. Cooper Connolly has a heave across the line. Gets it from the inside half of the bat but the ball goes in the gap between mid on and mid-wicket for a boundary.

BEATEN! Kagiso Rabada begins with a hard-length delivery, on off, angling it away from the left-hander. Priyansh Arya has a poke at it but gets beaten on the outside edge.

OUT! TAKEN! Kagiso Rabada strikes early. He bangs this hard into the deck, keeping the line on the middle and off the stumps. Priyansh Arya looks to take it on and goes for the pull shot, but the ball just gets big on him. He mistimes it high in the air towards mid-wicket, where the debutant, Ashok Sharma, settles under it. It almost bobbles out but he manages to hold on to it near his chest. Arya fails to make much impact and PBKS are 7/1, chasing 163 runs.

On a length and on middle, Cooper Connolly gets behind the line and blocks it out.

Back of a length and outside off, Cooper Connolly cuts it through point for a single and gets off the mark.

Good length and just around off, Prabhsimran Singh punches it through cover-point for his first run.

Touch fuller and on off, Cooper Connolly drives it on the up and square through backward point for one. Just 3 runs and a wicket from Rabada's first over!

Mohammed Siraj starts over the wicket! He lands this fuller and on off, no real movement. Priyansh Arya mistimes his drive of the bottom half of his bat back to the bowler.

Short of a length and just outside off, Priyansh Arya looks to go after it, but loses balance and ends up stabbing it to short cover.

Excellent fielding! Touch fuller and on off, Priyansh Arya strides out and drives it firmly wide of short cover. Glenn Phillips puts in a full-length dive to his right to make a fine stop. It will take a lot more to beat him there.

Four dots in a row now! Good length and on middle and off, Priyansh Arya stays back and guides it away towards point.

SIX! Now, that's how you get underway in a chase! Mohammed Siraj lands this back of a length but well outside off. Priyansh Arya gets the chance to free his arms and carves it over the deep extra cover fence for a biggie.

Pitched up and on middle and off, angling away, Priyansh Arya uses his feet to swipe it across the line. Gets an inside edge through backward square leg for a single. 7 runs off the first over then.