Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings will look to begin their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign on a strong note when the two sides face off in a league encounter at Mullanpur on Tuesday, with both teams banking on settled cores and dynamic leadership to set the tone for the tournament.
Punjab Kings will once again rely on a strong Indian core as they attempt to build on last season’s run to the final. Led by Shreyas Iyer, the franchise has assembled a batting lineup capable of putting any bowling attack under pressure.
Iyer enjoyed a prolific campaign last year, scoring 604 runs at a strike rate above 175 while leading from the front. His leadership pedigree is well established in the IPL, having previously guided Delhi Capitals to the 2020 final and captained Kolkata Knight Riders during their title-winning campaign in 2024.
Punjab’s explosive opening pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya forms the cornerstone of their batting strategy. The duo combined for more than 1,000 runs last season at a strike rate close to 169, making them one of the most destructive partnerships in the tournament.
The middle order will also play a crucial role, with players like Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh and Suryansh Shedge expected to provide stability and finishing power.
Punjab have also brought in Australia’s Cooper Connolly as a replacement for Josh Inglis, who was released ahead of the season due to availability issues. Connolly is expected to slot in at No. 3 as a specialist batter while he continues to recover from a back problem that currently limits his bowling.
Another area of focus for Punjab will be their home record at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. Despite reaching the final last year, the team managed only two wins in five matches at New Chandigarh, and they will be keen to turn their home venue into a fortress this season.
Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, enter the season as one of the most stable outfits in the league. Since winning the title in their debut season in 2022, the franchise has remained a consistent contender, reaching the playoffs in successive campaigns and finishing third last season before bowing out to Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. Having retained a large chunk of their squad, the Titans appear well placed to challenge again.
At the heart of their plans is captain Shubman Gill, who has grown into the leadership role since the departure of Hardik Pandya after IPL 2023. Gill has been among the most prolific run-scorers in the league in recent seasons, with only Virat Kohli scoring more IPL runs since 2023. The focus for the stylish opener, however, will be on maintaining the aggressive intent he showed last season, when he significantly improved his strike rate while continuing to anchor the innings.
The Titans’ biggest strength remains Gill’s opening combination with Sai Sudharsan, who topped the team’s scoring charts last season with 759 runs, returns after recovering from a rib fracture. Prior to the injury, the left-hander was in excellent touch in domestic cricket, including an unbeaten century and several half-centuries, making him a key pillar of the batting unit.
Gujarat also boast depth in their batting resources. Young wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra has emerged as an exciting backup option after impressive domestic performances, where he struck at over 160 while averaging above 60 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. His presence gives the Titans flexibility if the middle order requires reinforcement.
Squads:
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Lockie Ferguson, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Harnoor Singh, Yash Thakur, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Vishnu Vinod, Ben Dwarshuis, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Vishal Nishad
Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (Captain), Shahrukh Khan, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Kumar Kushagra, Tom Banton, Glenn Phillips, Jason Holder, Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Manav Suthar, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Brar, Ashok Sharma, Luke Wood, Prithvi Raj Yarra.