The Punjab Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by 11 runs in their Indian Premier League 2025 season opener on Tuesday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, in a match that saw true captaincy, a blazing 275.00 strike rate, Shreyas Iyer’s IPL best, last-moment hopes, heartbreak and more. (Match Highlights Blog | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
The Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans won the toss and opted to bowl first in the batting friendly Ahmedabad Stadium.
Asked to bat first, PBKS posted a formidable 243 for 5. Captain Shreyas Iyer led from the front with an unbeaten 97 off 42 balls, his highest score in the IPL that consists of 9 sixes and 5 fours.
Punjab's debutant Priyansh Arya impressed with a quickfire 47 off 23 deliveries, while Shashank Singh provided late fireworks, smashing 44 off just 16 balls.
At 97 in the final over, with a golden chance to reach his century, Shreyas Iyer chose selflessness over personal milestones. Instead of rotating strike, the new PBKS captain encouraged Shashank Singh to go all out--and the 33-year-old right-hander delivered reaching a strike rate of 275.00. Shashank hammered five fours in the last over, smashing 23 runs off Mohammed Siraj to give Punjab Kings a powerful finish at 243/5.
Now, Chasing a daunting target of 244, Gujarat Titans got off to a solid start, reaching 51/0 in five overs, with Shubman Gill at 27 off 11 and Sai Sudharsan on 23 off 19, building a strong foundation.
However then, Shubman Gill, in red-hot form, fell victim to Glenn Maxwell’s clever bowling. The GT skipper departed for just 33 off just 14 balls,
Sai Sudharsan led the charge with a superb 71 off 41 balls, while former England captain Jos Buttler contributed a crucial 54 off 33. Sherfane Rutherford provided late hope with a blistering 46 off 28, but it wasn't enough.
Arshdeep Singh turned the game in Punjab Kings’ favor, dismissing both Sudharsan and Rutherford to finish with figures of 2/36 in four overs. GT ultimately fell short, managing 232/5 in their 20 overs, handing PBKS an 11-run victory.
