GT vs PBKS preview: Gujarat Titans face Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad; check head-to-head, pitch report, more

Gujarat Titans will host Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, 3 May, at 7:30 PM IST in Match 46 of IPL 2026.

Gujarat have 10 points from 9 matches. With a Net Run Rate of -0.192, the Titans are ranked 5th.

Punjab Kings remained unbeaten for 7 matches and lost to the Rajasthan Royals. With 13 points in 7 matches, Shreyas Iyer’s boys are still on top of the IPL 2026 points table.

Match Logistics

The game is at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on Sunday, 3 May, at 7:30 PM IST, with the toss at 7 PM IST. The match will be broadcast live on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar.

Head-to-Head Record

PBKS lead the all-time head-to-head record with 4 wins from 7 matches. GT have won 3 times in this fixture across all IPL seasons. GT's highest score against PBKS is 232; PBKS's best is 243. The lowest scores are 143 (GT) and 142 (PBKS).

Recent form strongly favours the Punjab Kings. PBKS won the most recent IPL 2026 match by 3 wickets. They also won the 2025 encounter by 11 runs.

In 2024, both teams won one match each. GT's only back-to-back wins in this fixture came in 2022 and 2023. GT won by 6 wickets in their sole 2023 meeting.

PBKS have now won 3 of the last 4 completed meetings against GT. Interestingly, PBKS have a perfect 2–0 record at GT's home ground.

Predicted Playing XI

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Jason Holder, Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar, Arshad Khan (Impact Player)

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar (Impact Player)

Team News

Punjab Kings suffer a major blow with Shashank Singh ruled out. He is recovering from a recently sustained hamstring injury. Shashank has been a reliable finisher for the table-topping side.

Uncapped all-rounder Suryansh Shedge is the primary candidate to replace him. Arshdeep Singh remains in the XI despite conceding 68 runs recently.

Gujarat Titans have made one notable selection call. Prasidh Krishna has been dropped for the second consecutive match. Poor form and inconsistent bowling lengths led to his omission.

Jason Holder keeps his place after a Player of the Match performance. GT won back-to-back matches and are unlikely to change further. Rashid Khan and Manav Suthar continue as the spin duo.

Key Players to Watch

Shubman Gill leads all run-scorers in this fixture with 373 runs. He recently smashed 43 off just 18 balls against RCB. Sai Sudharsan is GT's most consistent batter this season. He has scored 443 runs in 10 matches at an average of 44.3.

Rashid Khan has rediscovered his form, taking 3/17 against Delhi. His battle against PBKS's aggressive middle order will be crucial. Kagiso Rabada is GT's primary pace threat with 14 wickets in 9 matches.

For Punjab, Shreyas Iyer leads with 397 runs at an impressive average of 66.17. Prabhsimran Singh has scored 378 runs at a strike rate of nearly 169.

Cooper Connolly won the earlier GT clash with a match-winning 72 not out. Yuzvendra Chahal provides a spin threat in the middle overs with 9 wickets.

Pitch and Conditions

Narendra Modi Stadium offers a batter-friendly surface with true, even bounce. Free stroke play is encouraged throughout the innings here. Large boundaries can challenge big-hitters, but the outfield is lightning-fast. A par score of 185–195 is expected for this match.

Conditions will be hot and clear throughout the evening. Temperatures begin at 34°C at 7 PM during the toss. The mercury dips only slightly to 31°C by 11 PM. No rain interruptions are expected whatsoever tonight.

The square features a mix of red and black soil. Red soil assists pacers with extra bounce and movement. Black soil offers grip and turn for spinners later on. Moderate to heavy dew is expected during the second innings. This will make the ball slippery and favour the chasing team. Fast bowlers have taken 67% of wickets at this venue.

Gujarat will make their playoff chances better with a win here. If Punjab win, they’ll further strengthen their chances to finish on top.