There’s a reason Punjab Kings have looked like one of the most dangerous batting units in IPL 2026. Their top four of Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly and Shreyas Iyer has made a habit of taking games away inside the powerplay itself.
We saw that peak version not too long ago. A 126-run opening stand between Priyansh and Prabhsimran set up a fearless 265 chase against Delhi Capitals. That’s the template. Start fast, stay ahead, make the rest look easy.
GT vs PBKS: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
But cricket rarely sticks to the script for too long.
Against the Gujarat Titans, that entire structure came crashing down early. No rhythm, no platform, just pressure from ball one. And at the centre of it was Mohammed Siraj, who didn’t just strike early, he broke the game open before Punjab could even settle.
HOW SIRAJ ROCKED PUNJAB EARLY
Siraj didn’t take time to warm into the game. He arrived switched on.
Second ball of the innings, first breakthrough. Priyansh Arya, usually the one dictating terms, went hard at width but didn’t get hold of it. At deep backward point, Nishant Sindhu dived low to his left and held on. Early damage.
What came next hurt even more.
Cooper Connolly walked in and walked back in the space of one ball. A sharp delivery jagged back in, took the inside edge and settled safely in Jos Buttler’s gloves. The review only delayed the outcome.
Three balls, two wickets. Punjab’s entire top-order blueprint undone before it could even begin.
By the time the over ended, the tone of the innings had already shifted. Yes, Shreyas Iyer managed a boundary off the penultimate ball, but the damage was done. Punjab never quite recovered, crawling to 35 in the powerplay instead of dictating terms like they usually do.
Add in the pressure from Kagiso Rabada and Jason Holder, and suddenly the most explosive top order of the season looked stuck.
GUJARAT NEEDS MORE OF SIRAJ
There’s a reason why this spell matters beyond just one game.
After their win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rashid Khan had spoken about the bowlers needing to take more responsibility. GT don’t quite have the same explosive middle-order firepower as some other teams, so their margin often starts with the ball.
That’s where Siraj fits in.
Coming into this game, Punjab were exactly the kind of side that could push totals into the 190–200 range or beyond if allowed a start. Instead, Siraj shut that door early. No momentum, no freedom, no platform.
He now has 11 wickets from 10 matches this season. Solid numbers, but the feeling is there’s still another level he can hit.
GT have quietly built a three-match winning run, but they’re still outside the top four. With four league games left, they don’t just need wins, they need control like this.
And if Siraj keeps turning up like he did here, hitting hard lengths, moving the ball, and striking early, Gujarat don’t just compete. They dictate.
Because, as Punjab found out, once their top order is gone, the rest of the game suddenly looks very different.
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