IPL 2026: Gujarat Titans Snatch Last-Ball Thriller as Washington Sundar Breaks Punjab Hearts

Cricket has a cruel sense of theatre, and on Sunday night, Punjab Kings were reminded of it in the harshest way possible.

Gujarat Titans completed a dramatic one-wicket victory over Punjab Kings with a ball to spare, as Washington Sundar struck a match-winning six off Marcus Stoinis in the final over to take his side home.

The win extended Gujarat's winning streak to three games, while Punjab, who had been unbeaten through their first seven matches, suffered their second consecutive defeat.

Sundar remained unbeaten on 40 off 23 balls, an innings laced with five fours and that decisive maximum, to guide GT over the line in what was, despite the nerve-shredding finish, a contest they had largely dominated from start to finish.

Sent in to bat, Punjab Kings were reduced to 47 for 5 in the ninth over after losing their top order in a heap.

Priyansh Arya survived a streaky top-edge off the first ball of the innings before slashing the next short delivery outside off-stump to deep backward point, where debutant Nishant Sindhu took a sharp catch.

Did Siraj, Rabada and the GT Pace Attack Make PBKS's Top Order Look Clueless?

Cooper Connolly departed first ball, undone by a Mohammed Siraj delivery that jagged back sharply and took a faint edge through to Jos Buttler behind the stumps, with a review confirming his fate.

Kagiso Rabada, meanwhile, was unrelenting against Prabhsimran Singh before eventually having him caught in the sixth over for an uncharacteristic 15 off 14 balls.

Shreyas Iyer dragged PBKS to 35 for 3 at the end of the Powerplay.

The innings was salvaged largely by Suryansh Shedge, who struck a fine 57 off 29 balls, sharing a 79-run stand off 44 balls with Marcus Stoinis, who contributed 40.

However, once the pair departed, Punjab could not sustain the momentum in the death overs and were eventually bowled out for 163 for 9, a total modest both by their own standards and those of the season.

Jason Holder was the pick of the Gujarat bowlers with 4 for 24, while Rabada and Siraj chipped in with two wickets apiece.

The trio of Siraj, Rabada and Holder bowled hard lengths on a pitch that offered steep bounce and plentiful seam movement, making life thoroughly uncomfortable for the Punjab batters.

Was Sai Sudharsan's Powerplay Blitz Enough to Put Gujarat Titans in the Driver's Seat?

In the chase, Gujarat were given a solid platform by Sai Sudharsan, who struck 57 off 41 balls, and the pair of Sudharsan and Buttler had GT racing to 58 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay, well ahead of the asking rate after Arshdeep Singh had removed Shubman Gill early.

But a clear lull set in after the powerplay overs. Vijaykumar Vyshak dismissed Buttler in the ninth over, and though Sindhu, coming in at number four, announced himself with a six over backward square leg off Vyshak, it was the first boundary GT had managed in 28 balls.

Stoinis then removed Sindhu in the 12th over, the Aussie's scalp coming after Shreyas Iyer had juggled his options through an intriguing passage of middle-over play by turning to both Stoinis and Yuzvendra Chahal to keep Punjab's hopes alive.

Once Sudharsan fell, Punjab clawed their way back into the contest and put the chasing side under considerable pressure.

The match came down to the final over, with Gujarat needing three runs off the last two balls before Sundar settled the matter with one emphatic swing of the bat.