IPL 2026 Latest Standings (March 31): It took a gutsy knock from Australia’s Cooper Connolly to pull Punjab Kings out of trouble, as they secured a thrilling win by 3 wickets against the Gujarat Titans at the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The well-paced knock from the left-hander ensured Punjab Kings finish fourth on the points table. On the other hand, the Gujarat Titans maintained their fifth spot in the standings despite a three-wicket loss.
The net run-rate for Punjab Kings is 0.509, while GT’s NRR stands at -0.509. Rajasthan Royals are at the top with a healthy run-rate of 4.171.
Check out the points table here:
| POS | TEAM | PL | W | L | NR | PTS | NRR |
| 1 | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +4.171 |
| 2 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +2.907 |
| 3 | Mumbai Indians (MI) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +0.687 |
| 4 | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +0.509 |
| 5 | Delhi Capitals (DC) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Gujarat Titans (GT) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.509 |
| 8 | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.687 |
| 9 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -2.907 |
| 10 | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -4.171 |
Shreyas Iyer On His Injury:
While PBKS have started the 2026 season with a ‘W’ next to their name, it did not come easy. A ferocious drive by Connolly hit Iyer’s wrist at the non-strikers’ end, leaving him in need of medical attention. Prasidh Krishna’s spell of 3/29 triggered a collapse from 110/2 to 118/6, but Connolly made sure PBKS secured their first points with five balls left.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Iyer said about his injury scare, “All I can say about the hand is that it is nice, same as it was before, I do not want to jinx anything.”
On Connolly’s knock, Shreyas said, “Cooper has got a great mindset and hope he continues his form. I have seen him play for Australia. Some of the shots he played were surreal to watch, especially the one off Rashid.”
Shreyas emphasised staying calm in moments of adversity while speaking about the brief collapse that followed his wicket.
“I was focused on my hand inside, icing it, and suddenly we lost two wickets back to back; these things happen in the IPL. You have to stay composed. Cooper was there, he was composed and calm,” he said.
with inputs from agency
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