In a thrilling encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) emerged victorious over the Gujarat Titans (GT) by 11 runs in their IPL 2025 opener on March 25, 2025.
This match marked a significant start for PBKS under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, who played a stellar innings.
Match Summary
- Final Scores:
- Punjab Kings: 243/5 in 20 overs
- Gujarat Titans: 232/5 in 20 overs
- Result: Punjab Kings won by 11 runs.
Key Performances
Punjab Kings Innings:
- Shreyas Iyer was the standout performer, scoring an impressive 97 not out off just 42 balls, which included nine sixes and five fours. His aggressive batting anchored PBKS’s innings.
- Priyansh Arya contributed significantly with a quickfire 47 off 23 balls, while Shashank Singh added a valuable 44 not out from just 16 deliveries, helping PBKS post a formidable total of 243 runs.
- The bowling for GT saw Sai Kishore shine with figures of 3/40, but overall, the bowling unit struggled to contain the explosive batting of PBKS.
Gujarat Titans Innings:
- In response, GT started strong with Shubman Gill scoring 33 off 14 balls. However, it was Jos Buttler, who scored a solid 54 off 36 balls, and Sai Sudharsan, who anchored the innings with a commendable 74 off 41 balls.
- Despite contributions from Sherfane Rutherford, who scored 46 off 28 balls, GT fell short of the target. Their total reached only 232 runs after a valiant effort.
Match Highlights
The match was characterized by explosive batting and high-scoring exchanges. PBKS’s innings set a challenging target that ultimately proved too steep for GT despite their aggressive chase.
The victory was crucial for PBKS as it marked a positive start to their campaign after struggling in previous seasons.
Under Iyer’s captaincy and with Ricky Ponting’s guidance as coach, they aim to break their title drought this season.
