Cricket News
IPL 2026: Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans, Match 4 – Who Said What?
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The Punjab Kings opened their account in IPL 2026 with a three wicket victory, in a nail-biting finish against the Gujarat Titans, at the New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur.
Put into bat first, the Gujarat Titans got to 162/6, with the Punjab Kings putting in a solid display in the field. Shubman Gill’s 39, Jos Buttler’s 38 and Glenn Phillips’ 25 ensured Gujarat had something to bowl at, despite it being an under-par total.
Vijaykumar Vyshak picked up three wickets for 34 runs in his four overs. Marco Jansen dismissed Sai Sudharsan early in the powerplay, and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up the key wickets of Gill and Buttler.
In response, the Punjab Kings, despite losing Priyansh Arya early, went on with their chase with ease. Debutant Cooper Connolly, along with Prabhsimran Singh, set a platform early on with a 76-run partnership for the second wicket.
Punjab were cruising at 110/2 at the end of the 12th over, but Gujarat picked up key wickets, leaving them tottering at 118/6, with impact player Prasidh Krishna taking three wickets. Punjab lost one more before Connolly (unbeaten 72 off 44), and Bartlett, took them home with five balls to spare.
Talking points
1) Gujarat Titans middle order weakness an issue?
Gujarat Titans were heavily reliant on their top-three in 2025, as they scored the bulk of the runs. Today, the trio of Gill, Buttler and Sudharsan were dismissed early, exposing the frailties of their middle order, as they were not able to consolidate afterwards. The addition of Glenn Phillips was supposed to be a boost, but he was unable to contribute more than 25 runs. How the Titans solve this issue could define their season.
2) Is Chahal back at his best?
Yuzvendra Chahal has the most wickets in the IPL. For years, he has outfoxed batters with deception, subtle variations and accurate bowling. The leg-spinner was at his best, dismissing the dangerous Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler. Chahal showed his wits and experience today, and if he is to continue this form into the season, Punjab Kings will be a force to reckon with.
3) Connolly arrives when the lights are brightest
Cooper Connolly, the highly-rated Australian prospect, was carded in at number 3 on his debut. In his first IPL rodeo, the youngster came in early in the powerplay and took command of the chase. He held Punjab’s innings together, piercing gaps, going aerial and rotating the strike to remain unbeaten on 72. He carried on till the end, scoring vital runs despite wickets at the other end. He has been in very high regard in the Australian system, and showed glimpses of his talent at the biggest stage.
4) Gujarat Titans do well to hold on in the death
Gujarat Titans were one of the better death-bowling sides in 2025, and they look to have continued that form into 2026. Punjab Kings were cruising at 110/2, but the Titans pulled it back, leaving them at 118/6, with six overs left in the chase. The 2025 Purple Cap winner Prasidh Krishna picked up three wickets, continuing his form from last season. With the addition of speedster Ashok Sharma, who bowled impressively at the back-end, Gujarat Titans displayed the prowess of their bowling attack.
Who said what?
Shubman Gill, Gujarat Titans captain
“I think we bowled pretty well, we didn’t get going in the last five or six overs (with the bat), it wasn’t a 200 wicket, but if we had 175 it would have been different, but we kept losing wickets and we couldn’t get going in the last five overs. Once the ball got older it was difficult to hit down the ground, there was no pace on the wicket. When we were bowling, with the rain coming down it did not stop as much in the second innings, we did well with the bowling I could have got Prasidh on earlier, but we were in the game until the end, there will always be ifs and buts. Ashok bowled pretty well up front and in the back, as he plays more and gets more experience he will be of value for us. He works very hard on his game, he’s a good fielder for us, I met him at a camp a couple of months ago and was very impressed.”
Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings captain
“All I can say about the hand is that it’s nice, same as it was before, I don’t want to jinx anything. Some of the shots he (Connolly) played was surreal to watch, especially the one off Rashid. I was focused on my hand inside, icing it, suddenly we lost two wickets back to back, these things happen in the IPL, you have to stay composed. Cooper was there, he was composed and calm. After the third over we realised the wicket is slow, Arshdeep came and said it was holding a bit, we tried to make the ball old as soon as possible. Vyshak is carrying forward the form he performed in the last season, he is a big match player. I was surprised to see a short leg for me, I told Shubman I had never seen that before, it’s good to see captains attacking.”
Cooper Connolly, Player of the Match
“I was looking forward to the experience of playing with some world class players, but to put that performance in tonight, very happy. I spent some time with friends and family at home before this just to reset. I’m just more of a tempo player, feel the flow of my hands, don’t hit too many big sixes. Working with Ricky is great. Not a lot was said, we were quite relaxed, in a great position out there, nice to get the win with Xavier, looking forward to the rest of the tournament. That was the first time I played Rashid Khan, and I was trying to enjoy. Was nice to get the win.”
Cricket News
ICC annual conference to be held in Edinburgh from July 8

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to stage its annual conference in Edinburgh later this year, with the event tentatively scheduled to take place from July 8 to 11. The venue was finalised during a recent virtual board meeting, and the proceedings will be led by ICC Chairman Jay Shah.
The conference will follow immediately after the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which is slated to be held in England from June 12 to July 5. ICC members, many of whom are expected to attend the final at Lord’s, will travel to Scotland for the annual gathering, as reported by Cricbuzz.
One of the key agendas during the Edinburgh meet will be the election of Associate Board Directors. Three representatives from Associate nations will be elected to the 17-member ICC Board, with the term set for two years. The contest is likely to witness strong participation from several prominent names across Associate cricket.
Among those expected to be in contention are Rwanda Cricket Association head Stephen Musaale, Cricket Namibia president Rudie van Vuuren, Bermuda’s Neil Speight, USA’s Sankar Renganathan, along with current Associate members of the Chief Executives’ Committee such as Gurumurthy Palani. Sitting Associate Directors including Mubashir Usmani, Mahinda Vallipuram, and Deputy Chair Imran Khwaja are also expected to feature in the race.
Meanwhile, the ICC recently held its board meeting virtually after the originally scheduled March 25-27 meeting in Doha, Qatar, was postponed due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
ICC congratulates Jay Shah for becoming 22nd most powerful Indian
Meanwhile, the international governing body has congratulated its chairman Jay Shah for getting recognised as the 22nd most powerful Indian. The list was recently released by The Indian Express in which Jay Shah found a place. ICC took to X (formerly X) to congratulate him.
“It is said that power and responsibility go hand-in-hand. This recognition is well-deserved and one that will definitely motivate our chairman @JayShah to strive harder towards loftier goals for the Sport,” ICC wrote.
Apart from him, Gautam Gambhir (74th rank), Virat Kohli (75th), and Jasprit Bumrah, too, found themselves on the prestigious list.
Cricket News
IPL 2026 Memes: Hilarious Reactions from PBKS vs GT, Match 4 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur
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Punjab Kings emerged victorious against the Gujarat Titans in the match 4 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur on March 31.
Chasing a modest target of 163, Punjab Kings started poorly, losing their opener Pryansh Arya early in the innings. But wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh (37 off 24) and Australia’s young sensation Cooper Connolly (72 off 44) put on a strong partnership of 76 runs to set the tone of the chase.
It was almost one man show from the Aussie batter as no other PBKS batter could give him enough support, with the team struggling at 118/6 at one stage. But Connolly stood tall and took his side over the line with a breathtaking knock on his IPL debut, as the home side chased down the target in 19.1 overs.
Earlier in the match, Gujarat Titans posted 162/6 in their 20 overs, a total that promised a contest but was not enough. The innings was built around a steady effort from captain Shubman Gill, who top-scored with 39 in 27 balls. Sai Sudharsan added 13 in 11 balls and fell early, but GT maintained a healthy scoring rate in the first six overs.
In the middle phase, Jos Buttler compiled a composed 38 runs, while Glenn Phillips injected some momentum with his 25 off 17 balls. However, just as Gujarat looked set to accelerate, regular wickets halted their progress. The death overs proved to be a setback, with Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia unable to provide the late surge, as GT managed only a modest total.
For Punjab Kings, the bowlers executed their plans effectively to restrict the scoring. Yuzvendra Chahal led the way with 2/28 in his four overs, striking at crucial moments. He was well supported by Marco Jansen (1 wicket), and Vijaykumar Vyshak (3 wickets), who kept things tight, particularly in the closing overs.
Below are the funniest memes from PBKS vs MI in Match No.4 of IPL 2026:
Never compare anyone else with this queen even at 51❤️ pic.twitter.com/urFGE1tC8D
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) March 31, 2026
“Look Arshdeep, I know you love bowling. But that doesn’t mean you bowl 2 overs in 1 over.” pic.twitter.com/dVO8I1ZV3L
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) March 31, 2026
IPL 2026 has felt quite one-sided so far 🫠
#PBKSvsGT pic.twitter.com/sTEYK8L7tt
— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) March 31, 2026
Kids doesn’t know, these 2 used to terrorise us in 2000s😭😭 pic.twitter.com/dFwyteslCu
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) March 31, 2026
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) March 31, 2026
IPL cameraman during a PBKS match pic.twitter.com/VTd2kULr92
— Kamina (@bittu7664) March 31, 2026
Scorecard graphic designers fear Arshdeep bowling in death overs the most. pic.twitter.com/xsy86MGjNf
— Dhillon (@sehajdhillon_) March 31, 2026
IYERRRRRRR!
It’s not like he was trying to escape and managed a boundary. He got into position and smashed it. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/u9bAHZPgCr
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) March 31, 2026
Sarpanch saab pls stop scaring us by doing these kinda attempts ffs 😭🙏🏼🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/jMIQYXC3Wv
— Dhillon (@sehajdhillon_) March 31, 2026
Shreyas Iyer not captaining team India would be a travesty, he has proven his worth with 3 different teams now❤️ pic.twitter.com/fwtHi4ZD2e
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) March 31, 2026
Cricket News
IPL 2026: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, Match 3 – Who Said What?

It was a carnage by the hosts Rajasthan Royals in their opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against five-time champions Chennai Super Kings at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati on March 30.
The toss was delayed due to untimely rain, but it did not matter much in this contest as the game went on without much interruption. After winning the toss, Riyag Parag invited CSK to bat first on a green wicket. What followed was a total disaster for the visitors, as they were bundled out for just 127 runs in their 19.4 overs, as they also lost eight wickets.
Chasing a modest target, RR started off with a bang. The openers, Yashaswi Jaiswal, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 75 runs in just 6.2 overs. The hosts eventually chased down the target in just 12.1 overs.
RR vs CSK: Talking points
1. Ravindra Jadeja makes a fairytale return to RR
From RR, the bowlers dominated the innings, and it was a total collective effort. Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger took two wickets each, whereas Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, and Brijesh Sharma took a wicket each as well. But, it was all about the man who made a sensational comeback into the RR colours, Ravindra Jadeja. The legendary all-rounder had a perfect outing as he picked up two wickets against his former side.
2. Vaibhav Suryavanshi puts on a batting masterclass
The teenage sensation put on a clinic as he smashed a 15-ball fifty to celebrate his fifteenth birthday. He got out after scoring 52 off just 17 balls. This was the second-fastest fifty for the 2008 IPL champions. He also has a 17-ball fifty to his name already. He continues to stun everyone with his batting epics.
Flair on display 🔥
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the house 😎
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/UzbuFk5G26#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #RRvCSK pic.twitter.com/dr0hYVaVij
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2026
3. The great CSK collapse
It was a batting disaster from the visitors in this encounter. They lost both of their experienced openers, Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad for just 19 runs, and they could not recover from the collapse. They were further reduced to 57 for 6 at one stage.
They were bundled out for just 127 runs in their 19.4 overs, as they also lost eight wickets. Jamie Overton was the top scorer with the bat for them, scoring 43 runs in 36 balls. Batters like Sarfaraz Khan (17 off 12 balls) and Kartik Sharma (18 off 15 balls) got the starts but could not capitalise on it.
4. Are CSK missing MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis?
The absence of MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis was clearly felt for the Chennai-based franchise. Brevis is known for his ultra-aggressive batting against spin bowling, and that is exactly what was missing from CSK’s batting tonight. MS Dhoni is known for his batting, especially during a batting collapse. MSD would have been an ideal batter in these kinds of conditions.
RR vs CSK: Who Said What?
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Chennai Super Kings captain
“Frustrated?) Not much, to be honest. I felt the conditions at the start were really tough, especially when facing Jofra and Burger. They bowled brilliant lengths and even after that, to a medium-pacer it was slightly tough. You could see even the spinners were getting some assistance as well. Yes, we would have been better in batting, we would have taken the game deep, showed some batsmanship, maybe take the game till 150-160. I think it just one of those days where the wicket was slightly on the tougher side. So not frustrated at all. (Do you reassess as a group?) You just put it behind and move on. We’ve got a game in another three days. Make sure that everyone is in a good headspace. One good thing is, a lot of youngsters in the group. So, probably a nervy start for everyone, but good to get a game behind and good to start with lot of mistakes. Hopefully it will be just improvement after here.”
Riyan Parag, Rajasthan Royals captain
“I got lucky with the toss. We knew that the moisture was going to play a part. Everyone executed their plans. A lot of prep has gone into it. The goal this year to win the trophy. We want to be a team that wants to play smart cricket. Brijesh, what he did was insane. What I tell him (Vaibhav) is he’s going to play 14 games. He goes and does something like that. Really happy to have him in my team. Dhruv Jurel comes in at three, Hettie at five. Hopefully we win with this batting line-up.”
Nandre Burger, Player of the Match
“Firstly, all glory to God – it feels great to contribute to a win for the team and get us off to a good start (on his performance). Watching the previous games with big scores, you naturally prepare for chasing something big, so winning the toss and getting the ball first was massive for us and helped us get off to a strong start (on conditions and match situation). The plan is always to get every batter out – I can’t really say I meant to bowl that exact delivery to Sanju Samson, it just happened, you can call it natural variation – but overall the idea was to bowl tight lines and make batters hit into the areas we wanted, so I’m glad it worked in my favour today. The dressing room feels pretty similar to before – there are a few new faces and changes like the coach and captain, but the energy is good, everyone is smiling, and hopefully this is a positive start so we can keep that momentum going.”
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