Only four matches in, Jason Holder has provided a much-needed balance and boost to the Gujarat Titans (GT) lineup that Glenn Phillips failed to do in his six outings in IPL 2026.
After a Man of the Match-worthy performance – 2/29 & 3 catches – against RCB in Ahmedabad on Thursday, Holder lit up the Narendra Modi Stadium with a superb bowling performance against table leaders Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Sunday evening that put the home side ahead in the first half of the match.
Playing his 51st IPL match for what is his sixth IPL team, Holder recorded his personal IPL best bowling figures, and the sixth best by any GT bowler, of 4/24. These are also the best returns for any bowler against PBKS since IPL 2024.
Punjab have been marauding oppositions this season through the sheer strength, depth, form, and power of their batting department. Prior to tonight’s GT vs PBKS game in Ahmedabad, PBKS had been scoring their runs at 11.64 runs per over, with an average innings total of a whopping 232, both the best among all 10 teams by a hefty margin.
However, tonight, Holder’s terrific four-wicket haul stopped PBKS in their tracks, halting the innings to only 163, which seems a below-par total in Ahmedabad.
Holder’s four-fer included the wickets of Nehal Wadhera, Shreyas Iyer, Marcus Stoinis, and Xavier Bartlett, thus breaking the back of the Punjab middle and lower middle order.
The West Indian was clearly delighted with all wickets, but in particular with the scalp of the PBKS skipper, as he did a brief dancing celebration after castling Iyer.
Iyer received a back-of-length delivery from Holder that pitched outside the off-stump and slanted into the PBKS skipper.
The line, as it moved in, and length were so perfect from Holder that Iyer was crammed for room. Iyer tried to steer it to thirdman but got an inside edge, and the ball thudded into the stumps. The PBKS captain was left disappointed at the crease while Holder wheeled away on a dancing, knee-pumping celebration. Elation writ large over his face.
Check it out here.
GT vs PBKS: [Watch] Jason Holder Dances In Celebration After Taking Shreyas Iyer’s Wicket
Holder had Wadhera edging behind to Jos Buttler, while Stoinis holed out at long on, and later on Bartlett was castled by the lanky West Indian.
Meanwhile, in the chase, Shubman Gill has been dismissed by Arshdeep Singh in the second over. If PBKS can get rid of either Buttler or Sudharsan soon, or better yet, both, they will feel very much in the game.
In the points table, Gujarat, who have 10 points to their name at the moment, will join RR, SRH, and RCB at 12 points each if they win tonight. But if PBKS take the W, they will sit with 15 points at the top and much closer to playoff qualification.
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