Connolly stars as Punjab edge past GT by three wickets in IPL

Cooper Connolly struck a fine unbeaten half-century as Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) by three wickets in their opening Indian Premier League match at Mullanpur on Tuesday.

A disciplined bowling performance helped PBKS restrict former champions GT to 162/6 after opting to bowl. Vijaykumar Vyshak (3/34), Yuzvendra Chahal (2/28) and Marco Jansen (1/20) shared the wickets with tight spells.

For GT, skipper Shubman Gill top-scored with 39, while Jos Buttler made 38. Glenn Phillips (25) and Washington Sundar (18) also chipped in with useful contributions.

In reply, PBKS chased down the target in 19.1 overs, riding on Connolly's unbeaten 72 off 44 balls, which anchored the innings and sealed the win.

Prasidh Krishna (3/29), Rashid Khan (1/29) and Washington Sundar (1/27) were among the wickets for GT.

Brief Scores:
Gujarat Titans: 162 for 6 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 39; Vijaykumar Vyshak 3/34, Yuzvendra Chahal 2/28).
Punjab Kings: 165 for 7 in 19.1 overs (Cooper Connolly 72; Prasidh Krishna 3/29).