Gujarat Titans delivered one of the most authoritative performances of IPL 2026 so far, dismantling Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets in the 19th match of the tournament on Sunday. A ruthless bowling display, headlined by Prasidh Krishna’s career-defining four-wicket haul, set the platform, and the Gujarat batters — led by the imperious Jos Buttler and a composed Shubman Gill — made light work of a 165-run target to secure victory with eight balls to spare.

Gujarat Titans, having won the toss and elected to bowl under clear skies and very hot conditions, immediately asserted control. Aiden Markram got Lucknow off to a brisk start — 30 runs off 21 balls, with five boundaries and a six — and Mitchell Marsh announced himself with a four and a six in just four balls before being caught off Kagiso Rabada at fine leg. The tone was aggressive but fleeting. Each time Lucknow threatened to take control of a passage of play, a wicket fell to reset their momentum.

The key architect of Lucknow’s downfall was unquestionably Prasidh Krishna, who picked up the wickets of Markram, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, and the dangerous Mukul Choudhary across his four overs. Krishna’s economy rate of 7.00 was commendable on a surface that produced some big hits, and his ability to take wickets in clusters — removing Markram in the seventh over, Badoni in the ninth, Pooran in the fifteenth, and Choudhary in the nineteenth — made it impossible for Lucknow to build the platform they desperately needed. Mohammed Siraj was equally outstanding at the other end, conceding just 19 runs from four disciplined overs while claiming Rishabh Pant’s wicket.

Lucknow’s reply was a collection of individual contributions that never coalesced into a match-winning innings. Rishabh Pant made a brisk 18 off 11, Nicholas Pooran was watchful for 19 off 21, and Abdul Samad grafted 18 off 22. The most explosive cameo came late, with George Linde smashing 16 off 10 and Mohammed Shami contributing an unbeaten 12 off just five deliveries in the death overs, but these flourishes only served to put a slightly more respectable face on an innings that had been fundamentally compromised by the time the powerplay had concluded. The final total of 164 for eight always appeared below par.

In their reply, Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan set about the task with intent. The opening stand of 45 came off just 31 deliveries, with Gill driving expansively through the covers. Sudharsan fell for 15 when he chipped a Digvesh Singh delivery to Avesh Khan at mid-on, but his departure only brought the most destructive bat of the innings to the crease — Jos Buttler. The Gujarat wicketkeeper and England stalwart produced an innings of breathtaking quality: 60 runs off 37 balls, featuring eleven boundaries, in a knock that made the chase look entirely routine. Buttler and Gill added 84 crucial runs for the second wicket before Gill was caught at the wicket off Prince Yadav for 56. Buttler followed shortly after for 60, caught by Markram off Shami, but by then Gujarat needed only a handful more. Washington Sundar (21* off 13) and Rahul Tewatia (10* off 8) finished the job without fuss.

The result moves Gujarat Titans to fifth position in the IPL 2026 standings with four points, while Lucknow Super Giants remain sixth — level on points but significantly behind on net run rate at -0.427. The outcome also underlines the importance of the toss on these surfaces, with Gujarat’s decision to field first proving decisive.