🏏 IPL 2026: Match 4, PBKS vs GT at New Chandigarh🏏

The two heavyweights of the Indian Premier League 2026 will be seen in a fierce battle when the Punjab Kings (PBKS) cross swords with the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Match No. 4of the tournament on Tuesday, March 31, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium, in New Chandigarh.

The Punjab Kings have only one job – to go the distance this year. They made it to the finals last time round but were narrowly kept devoid of their maiden title by Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who won their first instead. Under the awe-inspiring leadership of Shreyas Iyer, the Punjab-based franchise should certainly be fancying getting their hands on the silverware in 2026.

Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, will enter the contest as the visiting side, but they have a reputation of beating their opponents in their den. The Shubman Gill-led side looked all set to make it to their third IPL final in the 2025 edition but had to make their way out in the Eliminator. However, a fresh season will give them a new opportunity, which can also hand them their second trophy.

Venue at a Glance

Since 2024, the New Chandigarh venue has hosted 11 IPL matches and the numbers suggest a fine balance with a slight tilt towards teams batting first. Sides setting a target have won six games, while chasing teams have prevailed five times. Pace bowlers have enjoyed greater influence here, claiming 67 percent of the wickets, with spinners accounting for the remaining 33 percent. The powerplay has offered steady scoring opportunities, averaging around 53 runs, while the death overs have been tough on bowlers, who have gone at 10.6 an over. The average first innings score at this venue stands at 169, keeping contests competitive and tightly poised.

Head-to-Head in IPL

Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans are locked in a perfectly balanced rivalry so far. In the six IPL encounters between the two sides, both teams have claimed three victories each, making it an even-steven contest heading into their next clash.

Big picture: Shreyas and Gill back in the T20 spotlight

Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill. Two IPL heavyweights. Iyer captained two teams to the final in the last two years, winning the title with one of them. Gill is the leading IPL run-scorer since the 2020 season, and also captained Gujarat Titans (GT) to the knockouts last year, having won the title with them in 2022 and helped them reach the final in 2023 as a batter.

Iyer scored 604 runs at a strike rate of 175 in IPL 2025. Gill amassed 650 at 155.87. And yet they spent the time between then and now in T20 wilderness.

Gill was pushed out of India's T20I plans by quicker scorers in Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, and even Ishan Kishan who came in from the cold. He played 15 T20Is after IPL 2025 but struggled for form, failing to score a single half-century. Iyer has not played a single T20 game since the IPL 2025 final, due to injuries and lack of opportunity in India's middle order.

Gill and Iyer will feel they have nothing to prove, given their stellar records, but Punjab Kings (PBKS) and GT will hope their captains can shake off the rust and pick up where they left off.

Team news

Cooper Connolly is set to bat at No. 3 for PBKS, while Marcus Stoinis and Marco Jansen are lock-ins. The fourth overseas slot will go to either Azmatullah Omarzai, Ben Dwarshuis or Xavier Bartlett.

Punjab Kings (probable): 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 3 Cooper Connolly, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Nehal Wadhera, 7 Shashank Singh, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Xavier Bartlett/Ben Dwarshuis/Azmatullah Omarzai, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Vijaykumar Vyshak

With Rashid Khan and Washington Sundar set to play, GT may lean towards a fourth fast bowler ahead of R Sai Kishore, as New Chandigarh favours seam bowling. Ashok Sharma is an exciting rookie who could get a look in, while Arshad Khan provides variety as a left-armer.

Gujarat Titans (probable): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Washington Sundar, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 M Shahrukh Khan, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Jason Holder/Kagiso Rabada, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 R Sai Kishore/Ashok Sharma/Arshad Khan

In the spotlight: The two top orders

Gill and Sai Sudharsan had 912 partnership runs in IPL 2025, making them the third pair to get 900 or more runs in a season. While Gill finished with 650; Sai Sudharsan won the Orange Cap with 759. Both batters struck at over 155 and were instrumental in GT's march to the playoffs. With GT still lacking a gun middle-order batter, and with Jos Buttler struggling for form, the team could be reliant on their openers once again.

While not quite as prolific as a pair, Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya played a crucial role in PBKS' run to the IPL final. Their 532 partnership runs were the most in a season by an uncapped opening pair, and both batters got more than 450 runs at strike rates of 160 or more. With the knowledge that they have a strong middle order below them, they have the license to go hard from the start. In 17 matches in IPL 2025, one of Prabhsimran and Arya crossed 40 in 15 of them, and PBKS ended up winning 11 games.

The two sets of openers have different approaches, dictated by their team structures, but both have been been highly impactful and could play a big role in deciding the game on Tuesday.

Stats and trivia

• Shreyas Iyer may have had a stellar year with PBKS in 2025, but his record at New Chandigarh is poor. In five games there, he has scored just 27 runs at a strike rate of 100 and a highest score of 10.
• In IPL 2025, Prabhsimran faced left-arm spin in five innings and got out three times, while striking at only 104.
• GT's openers have contrasting records against PBKS legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Gill only strikes at 122 against Chahal and has got out to him three times, whereas Sai Sudharsan has scored 40 runs off 17 balls against him without a dismissal.

Pitch and conditions

The match will be played on pitch No. 4 - the same one used in PBKS' game against Chennai Super Kings last year, when they piled on 219courtesy an Arya century. CSK made 201 in response. PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting expects another high-scoring contest.

Quotes

"Our level of cricket last year was good enough for us to finish on top of the table, but that doesn't mean anything going into a new season. I talked a lot last year about this team that we put together as being different and a really daring style and brand of cricket, and we've got to start that all over again"

Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting

"Ricky Ponting was one of the hardest working cricketers that ever came across in my time. And Sai Sudharsan would probably be a multiple of two as to what Ricky ever did."

Gujarat Titans batting coach Matthew Haydenon the levels of preparation of modern cricketers.

Punjab come into this game with continuity and confidence after narrowly missing the title last season. Their approach remains aggressive at the top, with Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh expected to take the attack to the opposition early. With a strong middle order featuring Shreyas Iyer, Marcus Stoinis and Nehal Wadhera, PBKS also have the depth to sustain momentum through the innings. Their bowling unit, led by Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen and Yuzvendra Chahal, offers both pace and spin variety.

Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, rely heavily on their consistent opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who were among the most productive duos last season. Their ability to anchor the innings allows the middle order to play defined roles, though that remains an area GT will want more output from. With experienced names like Jos Buttler, Rahul Tewatia and Washington Sundar, they have the tools but need better consistency. Their bowling attack looks formidable, with Mohammed Siraj, Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada forming a strong core.

The pitch at Mullanpur is expected to offer a balanced contest. While big scores are possible, totals around 180-190 have often been competitive, bringing both batters and bowlers into play.

Ultimately, the match could be decided in the PowerPlay. If PBKS get their explosive start, they could dictate terms early. But if GT’s openers settle in, they have the structure to control the game. A tight contest awaits.