Match overview
Punjab Kings chased down 200 at Narendra Modi Stadium on 4 April 2024 to beat Gujarat Titans by 3 wickets in the IPL 2024. Gujarat had set a competitive 199/4 after being put in to bat, and for most of the chase Punjab were right on the edge. They finished on 200/7, losing wickets steadily throughout all three phases but always keeping the asking rate within reach. Shashank Singh was named Player of the Match. Punjab Kings now lead the head-to-head record against Gujarat Titans 4 wins to 3, across 7 meetings in total.
Gujarat's innings was built on a solid powerplay: 52 runs for 1 wicket in the first six overs, well above the venue's powerplay average of 43. The middle overs added 82 more at the cost of 2 wickets, and the death overs finished with 65 runs for just 1 wicket. That death-overs acceleration was the difference between a modest total and a genuinely imposing one. Punjab's reply followed a similar pattern. They scored 54 in the powerplay but lost 2 wickets. The middle saw 84 runs and 3 more wickets fall. Then came the crunch: 62 runs needed off the death overs, 2 wickets taken. They got there.
Venue and conditions
Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is one of the largest cricket grounds in the world and one of the more data-rich venues in the IPL. Across 95 matches here, the average first-innings score is 206 and the average second-innings score is 196. That 10-run gap between the two is relatively small, which is reflected in the chase success rate of 53 per cent. Teams are marginally better off fielding first, and Punjab Kings took exactly that option after winning the toss.
The venue's powerplay average of 43 runs tells you something important about conditions. Both sides cleared that mark comfortably in this match, Gujarat with 52 and Punjab with 54, suggesting the pitch offered minimal early movement. The average death-overs score here is 38, and both teams posted well above that too, Gujarat with 65 and Punjab with 62. Dew in evening matches at Ahmedabad can make batting second easier in the second half of the innings, which may partly explain why the death-overs scoring stayed high for the chasing side.
How to watch
IPL 2024 coverage in the UK is carried live by Sky Sports Cricket. All matches are available via Sky Sports on satellite and cable, and subscribers can stream through the Sky Go app. Those without a full Sky package can access coverage through NOW TV using a day or month sports pass, which covers live cricket without a longer-term contract commitment.
Matches in India typically start at either 15:30 or 19:30 IST, which translates to 11:00 or 15:00 BST for UK viewers. The evening IPL slot is usually the more convenient of the two for UK audiences following matches in real time.
Recent form
Going into this fixture, Gujarat Titans had won 3 of their previous 5 IPL matches, with victories over Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians in 2024 and a further win over Mumbai Indians in 2023. Their losses had come against Chennai Super Kings twice during that stretch.
Punjab Kings arrived with a more mixed record. Their last win before this match was a victory over Delhi Capitals in the 2024 IPL season, but that had been preceded by defeats to Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Three defeats in five matches suggested a side still searching for consistency. Completing a 200-run chase here, despite losing 7 wickets in the process, was arguably their most complete batting performance of the recent run. Their next fixture gives them a chance to carry that momentum forward.
