Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer has been fined INR 12 lakh for maintaining a slow over-rate during their IPL 2026 opening match against Gujarat Titans (GT), despite his side registering a three-wicket win in New Chandigarh on March 31.
In a statement released by the IPL on April 1, it was confirmed: “As this was his team’s first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Iyer was fined INR 12 lakhs.”
PBKS bowlers restrict Gujarat Titans
Punjab’s bowling unit delivered a disciplined performance to limit Gujarat Titans to 162/6. Yuzvendra Chahal played a key role with his variations, claiming two important wickets for the hosts.
Vijaykumar Vyshak was particularly effective, finishing with three wickets for 34 runs, while Marco Jansen also made an impact by taking one wicket and conceding 20 runs in his four overs.
Batting first, GT found it difficult to build momentum on a slower surface. Shubman Gill (39) and Jos Buttler (38) got starts but were unable to convert them into substantial scores.
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Connolly leads PBKS chase
In pursuit of 163, PBKS faced a setback in the middle overs as Prasidh Krishna’s impressive spell applied pressure and led to a brief collapse.
However, debutant Cooper Connolly anchored the chase with an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls, striking five fours and five sixes. He received support from Prabhsimran Singh, who contributed 37 runs.
Captain Shreyas Iyer (18) and Xavier Bartlett (11*) added valuable runs towards the end, helping PBKS complete the chase with five balls to spare.
What’s next for PBKS
Punjab Kings are set to face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their next match on April 3 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
