Mar 25, 2025

Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings | Match 5 report - IPL 2025

Punjab Kings Beat Gujarat Titans by 11 Runs in Ahmedabad Thriller! Iyer Shines.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) have kicked off their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season with a bang, securing a thrilling 11-run win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in a high-scoring match at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. This was the fifth match of the tournament, played on March 25, 2025.

After being asked to bat first, PBKS piled up a massive 243 for 5. Gujarat Titans fought bravely in response but were restricted to 232 for 5, falling just short in an unforgettable game.

This win is a fantastic start for Punjab Kings under their new captain, Shreyas Iyer, who was a big buy at the auction. For Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, it’s an early setback. The match was a classic T20 showdown, with a massive 475 runs scored in 40 overs, highlighting the batting-friendly pitch and fearless cricket from both teams. As PBKS bowler Arshdeep Singh said after the match, “There is no par score, 240, 250, 260 - score as much as possible and then try and defend it.”

Toss & Team Plans: Gujarat’s Gamble

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bowl first. This was a bit of a gamble at a venue where the average first-innings score is 183. Gill might have been thinking about dew making it hard for bowlers later, or he might have been confident in his team’s chasing ability. Gujarat went with four fast bowlers and two spinners.

However, with PBKS scoring 243, the decision to bowl first didn’t quite work out. Gill later admitted, “Too many runs were given away.”

Team Line-ups & Impact Players

Gujarat Titans Playing XI: Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Impact Substitute: Sherfane Rutherford (IN) for Prasidh Krishna (OUT) during GT’s batting.

Punjab Kings Playing XI: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Impact Substitute: Vijaykumar Vyshak (IN) for Priyansh Arya (OUT) during PBKS’s bowling.

(Gujarat bringing in batsman Rutherford for bowler Krishna showed they wanted to strengthen their chase.)

Punjab Kings Innings: Iyer’s Captain’s Knock Leads Batting Fireworks! (243/5)

PBKS had an early hiccup when Prabhsimran Singh (5 runs) was dismissed by Kagiso Rabada, making it 28/1. But debutant Priyansh Arya wasn’t fazed. In his first IPL match, Arya smashed an amazing 47 runs from just 23 balls (7 fours, 2 sixes, strike rate 204.34!). His fearless batting gave PBKS great early momentum before Rashid Khan got him out. Arya and Shreyas Iyer added a quick 51 runs in just 19 balls.

Captain Shreyas Iyer then played a stunning, unbeaten innings of 97 runs from only 42 balls (5 fours, 9 impressive sixes, strike rate 230.95!). He anchored the innings perfectly, hitting his half-century in a quick 27 balls. He selflessly missed out on a century in the final over, focusing on the team’s total instead.

For Gujarat Titans, left-arm spinner Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore was the standout bowler. He took 3 crucial wickets for 30 runs in his 4 overs. He caused a mini-collapse by dismissing Azmatullah Omarzai (16), Glenn Maxwell (for a golden duck!), and Marcus Stoinis (20), leaving PBKS at 105/4 at one point.

The innings got a spectacular finish from Shashank Singh, who played an incredible unbeaten cameo of 44 runs from just 16 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes, strike rate 275!). His aggressive hitting in the death overs, especially taking 23 runs off Mohammed Siraj’s final over, pushed PBKS to their huge total of 243/5. The partnership between Iyer and Shashank Singh was a whirlwind 52 runs in just 17 balls!

Apart from Sai Kishore, GT’s bowlers had a tough time. Mohammed Siraj went for 54 runs, and Rashid Khan, despite a wicket, conceded 48 runs. Arshad Khan bowled one expensive over for 21 runs.

Shreyas Iyer’s innings was a true captain’s knock, not just for the runs but also for his team-first attitude in the final over.

PBKS Batting Scorecard:

Batsman	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR	How Out
Priyansh Arya	47	23	7	2	204.34	c Sai Sudharsan b Rashid Khan
Prabhsimran Singh	5	8	1	0	62.50	c Arshad Khan b Kagiso Rabada
Shreyas Iyer (c)	97*	42	5	9	230.95	Not out
Azmatullah Omarzai	16	15	2	1	106.66	c Arshad Khan b Sai Kishore
Glenn Maxwell	0	1	0	0	0.00	lbw b Sai Kishore
Marcus Stoinis	20	15	1	2	133.33	c Arshad Khan b Sai Kishore
Shashank Singh	44*	16	6	2	275.00	Not out
Extras	14					(lb 8, w 6)
TOTAL (20 Overs)	243/5					12.15 RPO

Fall of Wickets: 1-28 (Prabhsimran Singh, 3.1 ov), 2-79 (Priyansh Arya, 6.4 ov), 3-105 (Azmatullah Omarzai, 10.3 ov), 4-105 (Glenn Maxwell, 10.4 ov), 5-162 (Marcus Stoinis, 15.2 ov).

GT Bowling Figures:

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Mohammed Siraj	4	54	0	13.50
Kagiso Rabada	4	41	1	10.25
Arshad Khan	1	21	0	21.00
Rashid Khan	4	48	1	12.00
Prasidh Krishna	3	41	0	13.67
R Sai Kishore	4	30	3	7.50

Gujarat Titans’ Valiant Chase: So Close, Yet So Far (232/5)

Chasing a massive 244, GT openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan started aggressively. They put on a quick 51 runs in the first five overs. Gill was especially destructive, hitting 33 off just 14 balls (2 fours, 3 sixes) before Glenn Maxwell dismissed him.

Sai Sudharsan then took charge, playing a superb innings of 74 from 41 balls (5 fours, 6 sixes, strike rate 180.48). He was an “unsung hero” for GT. Jos Buttler provided great support with a power-packed 54 off 33 balls (4 fours, 2 sixes), keeping GT in the hunt. However, Buttler’s dismissal by Marco Jansen in the 18th over (GT 199/3) was a big blow.

PBKS bowlers, despite the attack, managed to take wickets at key moments.

Arshdeep Singh was crucial, taking 2 important wickets for 36 runs. He got the well-set Sai Sudharsan and later the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford, bowling a calm final over.
Glenn Maxwell also contributed by breaking the opening partnership.
Marco Jansen, though a bit expensive (1/44), got the vital wicket of Jos Buttler.

A key tactical move for PBKS was bringing in Vijaykumar Vyshak as an impact substitute. Vyshak bowled economically, giving away only 28 runs in his three overs. In such a high-scoring game, his ability to control the runs was invaluable and seen as a turning point. While GT’s impact player, Sherfane Rutherford, fought hard with 46 off 28 balls, Vyshak’s restrictive bowling proved more decisive.

Despite Rutherford’s late efforts and a quick 6 from Rahul Tewatia, Gujarat Titans finished at 232/5, falling short by 11 runs.

GT Batting Scorecard:

Batsman	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR	How Out
Sai Sudharsan	74	41	5	6	180.48	c Shashank Singh b Arshdeep Singh
Shubman Gill (c)	33	14	2	3	235.71	c Priyansh Arya b Glenn Maxwell
Jos Buttler (wk)	54	33	4	2	163.63	b Marco Jansen
Sherfane Rutherford (IMP)	46	28	4	3	164.28	b Arshdeep Singh
Rahul Tewatia	6	2	0	1	300.00	run out (Arshdeep Singh)
Shahrukh Khan	6*	1	0	1	600.00	Not out
Arshad Khan	1*	1	0	0	100.00	Not out
Extras	12					(lb 4, w 8)
TOTAL (20 Overs)	232/5					11.60 RPO

Fall of Wickets: 1-61 (Shubman Gill, 5.5 ov), 2-145 (Sai Sudharsan, 12.3 ov), 3-199 (Jos Buttler, 17.6 ov), 4-217 (Rahul Tewatia, 19.1 ov), 5-225 (Sherfane Rutherford, 19.4 ov).

PBKS Bowling Figures:

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Arshdeep Singh	4	36	2	9.00
Azmatullah Omarzai	2	29	0	14.50
Marco Jansen	4	44	1	11.00
Glenn Maxwell	2	26	1	13.00
Marcus Stoinis	2	31	0	15.50
Yuzvendra Chahal	3	34	0	11.33
Vijaykumar Vyshak	3	28	0	9.33

Decisive Moments of the Thriller

Iyer & Shashank Singh’s Final Over Attack: Their 52-run partnership in just 17 balls, especially Shashank hitting Siraj for 23 in the 20th over, massively boosted PBKS’s total.
R Sai Kishore’s Wickets: His spell for GT, dismissing Omarzai, Maxwell, and Stoinis, briefly slowed PBKS down.
Jos Buttler’s Dismissal: When Buttler got out in the 18th over of GT’s chase (score 199/3), it put huge pressure on GT.
Vijaykumar Vyshak’s Economical Spell: His disciplined bowling as PBKS’s impact sub was crucial in controlling GT’s run rate.
Fielding and Slow Overs: Shubman Gill mentioned GT “let ourselves down on the field” and pointed to a few slow overs in their chase as costly.

Star Performers

Player of the Match: Shreyas Iyer (PBKS): His unbeaten 97 off 42 balls was a brilliant captain’s knock. His 9 sixes were a treat to watch!
Priyansh Arya (PBKS): The debutant made a memorable 47 off 23 balls, giving PBKS a flying start.
Shashank Singh (PBKS): His explosive 44* off 16 balls (Super Striker of the Match) was vital for PBKS’s big total.
Sai Sudharsan (GT): Top scorer for GT with a smooth 74 off 41 balls.
R Sai Kishore (GT): Excellent bowling figures of 3/30. Also won the “Green Dot Balls of the Match” award for 12 dot balls.
Arshdeep Singh (PBKS): Took 2/36, including key wickets and a good final over.
Vijaykumar Vyshak (PBKS): His economical spell (0/28 in 3 overs) as an impact sub was game-changing.

Statistical Highlights & Awards

High Scores: PBKS 243/5 and GT 232/5.
Lots of Boundaries: Shreyas Iyer himself hit 9 sixes!
Key Partnerships:
- PBKS: Arya & Iyer (51 off 19); Iyer & Shashank (52 off 17).
- GT: Gill & Sudharsan (51 off 30).
Match Awards:

Award	Winner (Team)	Key Contribution/Statistic
Player of the Match	Shreyas Iyer (PBKS)	97* runs off 42 balls
Curvv Super Striker of the Match	Shashank Singh (PBKS)	Strike Rate of 275 (44* off 16)
My11Circle Fantasy King of the Match	Shreyas Iyer (PBKS)	193 fantasy points
Angel One Super Sixes of the Match	Shreyas Iyer (PBKS)	9 sixes
Rupay on the Go 4s	Priyansh Arya (PBKS)	7 fours
TATA IPL Green Dot Balls of the Match	R Sai Kishore (GT)	12 dot balls

(R Sai Kishore bowling 12 dot balls in a match where his team conceded 243 runs is particularly impressive!)

Post-Match Thoughts

Shubman Gill (GT Captain): Admitted his team gave away too many runs and had fielding lapses. He pointed to a few slow scoring overs in their chase as costly but tried to stay positive about their fighting spirit.
Arshdeep Singh (PBKS Bowler): Talked about their bowling plan to make GT hit to the off-side. He praised Vijaykumar Vyshak and stressed the importance of the batsmen setting up the game.
Shreyas Iyer’s Leadership: Though not many direct quotes, his team-first approach in the final over was clear.

For GT, losing such a close, high-scoring game can be demoralizing but also encouraging due to their batting fight. For PBKS, this thrilling win, led by their captain and a debutant, gives them a huge confidence boost.

Conclusion: PBKS Win a Run-Fest, GT Reflect on What Could Have Been

This match was a T20 treat, full of aggressive batting, but with key bowling performances from players like R Sai Kishore and Arshdeep Singh. Shreyas Iyer’s captain’s knock, Priyansh Arya’s debut fireworks, and Shashank Singh’s fantastic finish were the highlights for PBKS. GT’s chase, led by Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, showed their batting strength but wasn’t enough.

This is a brilliant start for PBKS, proving their big investment in Shreyas Iyer was worth it and showcasing their deep, aggressive batting line-up. GT, while showing they can chase big scores, will need to improve their bowling under pressure and tighten up their fielding. This match was a great example of the attacking spirit of T20 cricket and set a high bar for excitement early in IPL 2025!