Published on: Apr 1, 2026 6:31 pm IST|Updated on: Apr 1, 2026 6:42 pm IST
Punjab Kings registered a nervy win by 3 wickets over the Gujarat Titans in their opening game of Tata IPL 2026 on Tuesday, March 31, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten 72 off 44 deliveries ensured Punjab Kings kick off their season campaign on a winning note. However, the team faced an injury scare last night when skipper Shreyas Iyer hurt his wrist while taking an evasive action against a ball hit by Cooper Connolly towards him.
Chasing 163, Punjab Kings find themselves in a precarious position after the 13th over when wickets fall in clusters. Iyer, who came out to bat at no 4, was standing at the non-striker’s end when Connolly’s brutal hit struck a blow on Iyer’s right wrist. As soon as the ball hit Iyer’s wrist, the team physio came rushing down to the pitch and addressed the situation. Iyer continued batting after a brief treatment was given by the physio, but his innings didn’t last for long, as he could only score 18 runs off 11 deliveries.
After the game got over, Iyer revealed the status of his injury in the post-match presentation segment. When asked about the extent of his injury, Iyer was quoted as saying,
“I would say it [the wrist] is nice. It is the same as it was before. Don’t want to jinx it; hopefully everything will come out all right,” he said.
He further added,
“I was focused on my hand inside, icing it. Then suddenly, we lost two wickets back-to-back. These things happen in IPL. You have to be calm and composed. Cooper was there, he was well set. Some of the shots he played were surreal to watch. The backfoot six off Rashid Khan to hit them so cleanly was phenomenal.”
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The Punjab Kings have kicked off their IPL 2026 season campaign on a positive note. The finalists from the last season are still in hunt for their first-ever IPL title. With a skipper like Shreyas Iyer, who has led 3 different franchises into an IPL final and has won the title as the skipper of KKR in 2024, the Punjab Kings are definitely under the leadership of the right person.
With a 3-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, last night, the Punjab Kings have gained 2 points, and their net run rate is 0.509. It’s still early days in the competition, so the table positions don’t really matter as of now. Take a look at their next five fixtures in IPL 2026.
Punjab will play three away and two home matches in their upcoming five fixtures.
Tags: IPL 2026