Punjab Kings Opt to Bowl First Against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026

Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans: Match Overview

Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans, IPL 2026: The Punjab Kings, captained by Shreyas Iyer, won the toss and chose to bowl first at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. The pitch features some white grass but is primarily dry, which is anticipated to favor fast bowlers. Iyer expressed his preference for chasing, believing it enhances their chances of victory, especially after observing that teams batting second performed well in recent practice matches. His decision was influenced by the team's past performances in Mullanpur.

Understanding Mullanpur’s Pitch Conditions

The average score for the first innings at this venue is 169 across 11 matches. However, on this particular pitch, the average first innings score rises to 217, with only two previous matches played here. Iyer stated, "We're going to bowl first. I believe chasing gives you a clearer idea of how to approach the target. In our practice games, the totals set were easily chased down, which influenced my decision."

Shubman Gill, after being asked to bat first, commented, "The wicket appears to be in good condition. It has been covered for a few days due to intermittent rain, but upon inspection today, it looks promising for batting." The outfield is in excellent shape, with square boundaries measuring 64m and 70m, while the straight boundary is the longest at 74m. Bowlers will likely aim to bowl full deliveries early on to check for any swing.

Teams: Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Prabhsimran Singh(w), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal PBKS Impact subs: Priyansh Arya, Harpreet Brar, Praveen Dubey, Vishnu Vinod, Suryansh Shedge Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, M Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj GT Impact subs: Prasidh Krishna, Jason Holder, Jayant Yadav, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra