Shreyas Iyer Leads Punjab Kings to Thrilling IPL Victory Over Gujarat Titans

Punjab Kings Triumph in IPL Opener

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 26: Captain Shreyas Iyer of Punjab Kings (PBKS) expressed his joy after guiding his team to an exhilarating 11-run win against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday. Iyer's outstanding performance included an unbeaten 97 runs off just 42 balls, enabling Punjab to set a daunting total of 243/5. His efforts earned him the Player of the Match title.

In his post-match comments, Iyer emphasized the importance of his innings in the season's first match.

“Scoring 97 not out in our opening game is truly the icing on the cake. I started strong with a four on my first ball, which set the tone for my innings. That flick six off Rabada was also a highlight,” he remarked.

Iyer also commended Shashank Singh for his explosive performance, where he scored 44 runs off just 16 deliveries.

“Shashank's 44 runs off 16-17 balls were vital for our success. We established a benchmark that we needed to chase aggressively,” Iyer noted.

While the batting lineup shone, the bowlers also made significant contributions, particularly Arshdeep Singh, who recorded figures of 2/36 and was instrumental in executing the wide yorker strategy.

“Arshdeep played a crucial role in our wide yorker plan. He pointed out that the ball was reversing slightly, which helped the bowlers. His wicket of Sai shifted the momentum in our favor, and he suggested we start using wide yorkers earlier in the innings,” Iyer explained.

The PBKS captain also acknowledged the team's thorough preparation leading up to the season.

“Before the season kicked off, we ensured we were well-prepared. Everyone contributed ideas during our meetings on strategies to implement on the field—it wasn’t just me leading the discussions. We aim to maintain this momentum in our future matches,” he concluded.

This victory sends a strong message from PBKS early in the season.