Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer to lead Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings in IPL 2026 opener
Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer will lead Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings, respectively, in IPL 2026's opener. Both players have much to prove in T20 cricket, with Gill aiming to build on his IPL form and Iyer eager for leadership success
Mullanpur: Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, two India T20I batters who have often been overlooked, will captain Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings respectively in a high-stakes Indian Premier League opener here on Tuesday.
India’s Test and ODI captain Gill, who was named T20I vice-captain but later left out of the World Cup squad to accommodate Sanju Samson, has a lot to prove in the shortest format.
While India won a record third ICC T20 World Cup, Gill enters this season at a crucial phase in his T20 career.
Since 2023, only Virat Kohli has scored more IPL runs than Gill, but the focus has shifted from consistency to strike rate. With a career T20 strike rate of around 138, Gill showed signs of improvement last season, scoring at over 155 – something he would look to build on.
With Matthew Hayden now part of the coaching staff as batting coach, Gill’s six-hitting and intent at the top will be closely watched.
Since Hardik Pandya’s exit after IPL 2023, Gill has grown into his leadership role, and the team now clearly revolves around him.
Having won the title in their debut season in 2022, Gujarat Titans have remained one of the most consistent sides, finishing third last year before losing to Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator.
They look one of the most settled units again, retaining 20 players. The opening pair of Gill and Sai Sudharsan – last season’s top scorer with 759 runs – remains their biggest strength.
Sudharsan is returning after a rib fracture but was in fine touch in domestic cricket, including an unbeaten 101 and multiple fifties before the injury.
GT also have exciting backup options like wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra, who impressed in domestic cricket with a strike rate of over 160 and an average above 60 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He could provide flexibility if the middle order struggles.
For Punjab Kings, much will again depend on skipper Shreyas Iyer, a proven IPL leader who has now taken three different teams to the final – Delhi Capitals in 2020, KKR in 2024, and PBKS last season.
Despite consistent performances, Shreyas continues to be overlooked by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, having last played a T20I in December 2023.
The skipper led from the front last season, scoring 604 runs at a strike rate of over 175 – the highest among the top-10 run-getters. Yet, he failed to break into India’s T20I XI in the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, even after being called up as a replacement for Tilak Varma during the home series against New Zealand.
Punjab’s strength lies in their explosive Indian core. Openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya scored 1,024 runs together last season at a strike rate of nearly 169. However, both had a relatively quiet Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, raising questions about their current form.
The middle order, featuring Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, and Suryansh Shedge, will be crucial, especially against a strong spin attack led by Rashid Khan.
PBKS will also have a new No. 3 in Australia’s Cooper Connolly, replacing Josh Inglis, who was released ahead of IPL 2026 due to availability issues. Connolly is expected to play as a specialist batter initially, as Cricket Australia has advised him to avoid bowling while recovering from a back problem.
Punjab will also be keen to improve their home record. Despite reaching the final last season, they had only two wins in five matches in New Chandigarh.
Teams (from)
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Harprett Brar, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Vishal Nishad
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Tom Banton, Glenn Phillips, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Arshad Khan, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Sharma, Luke Wood, Kulwant Hejroliya, Rashid Khan
Match starts: 7.30 pm
