Table of Contents
Gujarat Titans continued their rise in the IPL 2026 playoff race with a thrilling four-wicket win against Punjab Kings on Sunday. Washington Sundar played one of his best T20 innings to help GT chase down a 164-run target with a ball remaining at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Sundar smashes a huge six over deep fine leg when GT needed three in two balls. Sundar finished with 40* off 23 balls to hand PBKS back-to-back defeats for the first time this season. A win also boosted Gujarat Titans' hopes for the IPL 2026 playoff qualification.
IPL 2026 playoff race heats up
Four teams, PBKS, RCB, SRH, and RR, have all lost their last respective games, resulting in a wide-open IPL 2026 playoff qualification. With PBKS losing two games in a row, only one point separates the top five teams after the 46th match.
Punjab Kings remain at the top with 13 points in nine games, followed by RCB, SRH, RR and GT with 12 points each. RCB have an edge with a superior net run rate and a game in hand. Despite winning their last three gams, Shubman Gill's Gujarat's net run rate remains the lowest among the top five teams.
Seeing the top four teams' recent struggles, the top two teams in the bottom half - CSK and DC, with eight points each, will look to close the gap as they lock horns with each other in Delhi on Tuesday, May 5.
The bottom three - KKR, MI, and LSG are unlikely to make the IPL 2026 playoff, but can spoil the party for others in their upcoming games.
IPL 2026 Points Table after GT vs PBKS match
An all-round Gujarat Titans crush Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad
Earlier, while batting first, Punjab Kings lost their first five wickets on just 47 inside nine overs. Mohammed Siraj picked up two wickets in the opening over to give Gujarat a stunning start, followed by wickets from Kagiso Rabada and Jason Holder.
PBKS made a strong comeback in the middle overs with Suryansh Shedge and Marcus Stoinis adding 79 runs for the sixth over. Shedge top-scored with 57 off 29 balls and Stoinis added 40 runs to help PBKS post a fighting total of 163 for 9. Holder emerged as the best bowler, picking up four wickets for 24.
Arshdeep Singh gave Punjab a good start with Shubman Gill's big wicket, but in-form Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler kept Gujarat ahead with a 53-run partnership for the second wicket. Viajaykumar Vyshak, who was ignored in the last two matches, came in as an impact player to dismiss both Sudharsan and Buttler.
However, Washington Sundar, batting at No. 5, kept the game alive for the Titans, and held his nerve in the last over with a match-winning six on the penultimate ball. Sundar scored an unbeaten 40 runs off just 23 balls, while Holder claimed the Player of the Match award for his bowling efforts.
Also read: GT vs PBKS Highlights
