Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans
Shreyas Iyer has not played a single T20 game since the IPL 2025 final — injuries and national selection kept him out. He arrives at his home ground in Mullanpur carrying the weight of a heartbreaking 6-run loss in the 2025 final to RCB. PBKS have never won an IPL title. Their motto for 2026: “Bas Jeetna Hai” — “We just want to win.” Iyer scored 604 runs at SR 175 in 2025 — the most fluent T20 batting of his career.
Shubman Gill — India’s Test and ODI captain — was overlooked for the T20 World Cup squad despite being the IPL’s top scorer since 2020 (only Kohli beat him in 2025, when Gill amassed 650 at 155.87). After the World Cup, he played 15 T20Is but failed to score a single half-century. Every run he scores in IPL 2026 is a statement to Indian selectors. GT batting coach Matthew Hayden compared Sai Sudharsan’s work ethic to “a multiple of two” of Ricky Ponting’s preparation level.
M1 (March 28): RCB beat SRH by 6 wickets — SRH 201/9 (Kishan 80/38), RCB 203/4 in 15.4 overs. Jacob Duffy 3/22 POTM. RCB broke the record for the fastest 200+ chase in IPL history.
M2 (March 29): MI vs KKR at Wankhede — result to confirm.
M3 (March 30): RR vs CSK at Guwahati — result to confirm. This is IPL 2026 Match 4.
🦁 Punjab Kings — Probable XI
Captain: Shreyas Iyer
1. Priyansh Arya
2. Prabhsimran Singh (wk)
3. Cooper Connolly
4. Shreyas Iyer (c)
5. Marcus Stoinis
6. Nehal Wadhera
7. Shashank Singh
8. Marco Jansen
9. Xavier Bartlett / Ben Dwarshuis
10. Arshdeep Singh
11. Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Player: Azmatullah Omarzai / Vijaykumar Vyshak
Note: Lockie Ferguson — delayed arrival (personal reasons)
⚡ Gujarat Titans — Probable XI
Captain: Shubman Gill
1. Shubman Gill (c)
2. Sai Sudharsan
3. Jos Buttler (wk)
4. Washington Sundar
5. Glenn Phillips
6. Shahrukh Khan
7. Rahul Tewatia
8. Jason Holder / Kagiso Rabada
9. Rashid Khan
10. Prasidh Krishna
11. Mohammed Siraj
Impact: R. Sai Kishore / Ashok Sharma / Arshad Khan
Note: GT retained 20 players for 2026 — most settled squad in IPL
Perfectly balanced at 3-3. The most recent meeting was a PBKS win by 11 runs at Ahmedabad (March 25, 2025). Before that, GT won at this very Mullanpur ground in April 2024 by 3 wickets. GT are 3/5 in last 5 meetings vs PBKS. The last encounter (PBKS win by 11) saw nearly 500 combined runs — a taste of what Mullanpur can produce.
🌡️ Weather: Clear evening skies, no rain. Temperature 24-29°C. Humidity rises from 16% to ~40% during the match. Dew is significant in the second innings — chasing teams have won 8 of the last 10 matches at Mullanpur. Toss winner almost certainly bowls first tonight.
⭐ Suggested XI
- Prabhsimran SinghWKPBKS
- Priyansh AryaVCPBKS
- Shreyas IyerPBKS
- Shubman GillCGT
- Sai SudharsanGT
- Jos ButtlerWKGT
- Marcus StoinisPBKS
- Washington SundarGT
- Rashid KhanGT
- Arshdeep SinghPBKS
- Yuzvendra ChahalPBKS
📋 Breakdown
- Wicket-keepers2 — Prabhsimran + Buttler
- Batters2
- All-rounders3
- Bowlers4
- Punjab Kings6 players
- Gujarat Titans5 players
Why Gill as captain? IPL’s most prolific batter since 2020 — playing his first competitive T20 in months with an enormous point to prove. The hunger, the motivation, the quality — on a Mullanpur pitch that suits elegant batting once it settles, Gill’s ceiling in this match is higher than anyone else’s.
Why Arya as VC? Explosive left-handed opener who lit up IPL 2025 — nearly 1,000 combined runs with Prabhsimran. He attacks spin immediately after the powerplay, making him especially dangerous vs Rashid in overs 7-10. His familiarity with Mullanpur conditions makes him the home team’s highest-ceiling opener.
Why Buttler as differential? Most fantasy users will load GT with Gill + Sudharsan (correct) but overlook Buttler for Washington Sundar. Buttler’s T20 ceiling when in full flow — 80-100 in 40 balls — is genuinely unmatched. His price vs ceiling ratio at No.3 for GT makes him the smartest differential in this high-scoring match.
📺 Broadcast: Star Sports 1/2/3/HD (India) | JioHotstar (streaming) | Willow TV (USA) | Sky Sports (UK) | Fox Sports (AUS). New Chandigarh’s Mullanpur fortress — another high-scoring evening expected!
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