Jos Buttler's Valiant Half-Century in Vain as Punjab Kings Edge Gujarat Titans in IPL Thriller

Match Summary

Punjab Kings 243-5 (20 overs): Shreyas Iyer 97 (42), Shashank Singh 44 (16); Sai Kishore 3-30
Gujarat Titans 232-5 (20 overs): Sai Sudharsan 74 (41), Jos Buttler 54 (33); Arshdeep Singh 2-36
Punjab Kings won by 11 runs
[Scorecard] | [Points Table]

Buttler Shines in Titans Debut

Jos Buttler marked his Gujarat Titans debut with a fluent 54 off 33 balls, featuring 4 boundaries and 2 maximums. The former England white-ball captain demonstrated his class despite recently relinquishing international leadership duties:

"I've reached the end of the road as captain," Buttler acknowledged after England's Champions Trophy exit. "Now I'm focused on contributing as a batter."

The 34-year-old's innings ended abruptly when he inside-edged Marco Jansen onto his stumps, halting Titans' momentum during their chase of Punjab's imposing 243.

Iyer's Masterclass Powers Punjab

Shreyas Iyer delivered a career-best IPL performance in his Punjab Kings debut, smashing an unbeaten 97 off just 42 deliveries (9 sixes, 5 fours). The Indian batter's explosive 230.95 strike rate laid the foundation for victory.

"When you're in that zone, you just want to keep batting," Iyer said post-match. "The team needed quick runs and I'm glad I could deliver."

Turning Point

With Titans requiring 40 off the last 3 overs, Arshdeep Singh (2-36) and Vijaykumar Vyshak executed perfect death bowling to restrict the flow of boundaries. Sai Sudharsan's valiant 74 (41) and contributions from Sherfane Rutherford (46) and Shubman Gill (33) ultimately proved insufficient.

Key Stats:

• Highest Powerplay score of IPL 2025 (Punjab Kings - 78/1)
• 23 runs conceded by Mohammed Siraj in the final over
• Sai Kishore's economical 3-30 the lone bright spot in Titans' bowling

Next Fixture: Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders (26 March, 14:00 GMT) – Live on BBC Sounds