Shreyas Iyer’s masterful half-century steered Punjab Kings to a dominant eight-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday. The PBKS skipper, unbeaten on 52 from just 30 balls, smashed three fours and four sixes, showcasing an aggressive intent throughout his stay at the crease. Chasing 172, the victory was all but sealed once Shreyas took charge, following a whirlwind 69 from the explosive Prabhsimran Singh.
The Punjab Kings needed just 16.2 overs to wrap up the match, thanks to their relentless approach with both bat and ball.
But beyond the commanding performance, there was a noteworthy moment from the commentary box as legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on Shreyas Iyer’s journey. Gavaskar, while admiring Shreyas’ batting prowess, dropped a key remark about the 2024 IPL season.
As the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, Iyer led his team to the title but received little credit for the achievement, according to the veteran cricketer. Gavaskar remarked, “Shreyas was the captain of the KKR side that won in 2024 and I believe that he did not get the credit he deserved. His captaincy record is quite impressive,” as quoted by NDTV.
Iyer produced brilliant performances in IPL and domestic cricket, as well as for India in ODIs, where he played a key role in the side’s Champions Trophy triumph last month. KKR released the batter despite the IPL-winning season in 2024, and the franchise withdrew from his bidding with the price reaching INR 10 crore at the auction. PBKS eventually snapped up the batter for a mammoth INR 26.75 crore.
A cruising win for PBKS
PBKS ket LSG under pressure throughout the game on Tuesday, with their batting, much like their captain Rishabh Pant’s form, failing to fire. Down to 39/3 in their batting powerplay, LSG were always on the back foot, with Punjab’s bowlers – Arshdeep Singh (3/43), Lockie Ferguson (1/26), and Marco Jansen (1/28) – exploiting the conditions to perfection.
Poor shot selection and a lack of application from LSG’s top order were too much for the middle order to handle. The likes of Nicholas Pooran (44 off 30) and Ayush Badoni (41 off 33) offered brief resistance, but Punjab’s bowlers ensured that their efforts never gained much momentum.