KOLKATA, MARCH 31,2026: PBSK (Punjab Kings), last year’s finalists, face off against last year’s playoff qualifier GT (Gujarat Titans) to start their campaigns in the fourth match of the IPL season 2026 on 31 March at the Punjab Kings’ home ground, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh, at 7:30 PM.
In the last season, Shreyas Iyer joined Punjab and led the team with a power-packed combination of uncapped players, taking them to the finals, where they finished as runners-up. Iyer is a proven leader who has guided multiple teams to IPL finals and also won the trophy as captain in 2024 for KKR. He not only led the side in a fantastic manner but also played magnificently last season, and is now ready to start this season with a very similar squad. PBKS made four major additions and a few changes during the 2026 auction, including Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Pravin Dubey, and Vishal Nishad, which help make the team more balanced and powerful. Fans are eagerly waiting to see how PBKS will start and continue this season.
Shubman Gill, the skipper of GT, starts this season after being dropped from the T20 World Cup squad. Fans are interested to see how he will perform this season and make a strong comeback. Last year, GT qualified for the playoffs, and Sai Sudharsan won the Orange Cap for most runs, while Prasidh Krishna won the Purple Cap. GT also come into this season with a similar squad and have made a few changes.
Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans have faced each other six times, and they are locked in a perfectly balanced rivalry so far. In six IPL encounters, both teams have achieved three victories each.
PBKS Squad:
Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Vishal Nishad, Lockie Ferguson
Predicted Playing XI (PBKS):
Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly/Nehal Wadhera, Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
GT Squad:
Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Tom Banton, Glenn Phillips, Sai Sudharsan, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Sharma, Luke Wood, Kulwant Khejroliya, Rashid Khan
Predicted Playing XI (GT):
Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Jason Holder, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
The weather in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh is expected to have clouds and sunshine during the day, with temperatures peaking around 33°C. Conditions will turn partly cloudy at night, with temperatures dropping to around 16–17°C. There is virtually no chance of rain during match hours. The pitch surface is batting-friendly, and a high-scoring match is expected. Batters are likely to dominate, although the early overs will be crucial for pacers. The toss will become important due to the possibility of dew. It will be exciting for fans to see how both teams start their seasons with strong squads and a power-packed rivalry.
