Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer, left, celebrates his 50th birthday (AP Photo)
Shreyas Iyer once again proved his worth as a captain and batsman, as he led Punjab Kings to a crushing six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League match on Saturday. After a smart captaincy display in the field and a clinical final knock, Shreyas remained unbeaten with 69 off 33 balls, helping PBKS chase down a huge target of 220 in seven balls. The match was decided by two very strong plays. First, Sunrisers Hyderabad exploded to 105 without loss in the first six overs and 120 without loss in 8.1 overs, supported by Abhishek Sharma’s 74 off 28 balls and Travis Head’s 38 off 23. Abhishek was in devastating form, smashing eight sixes and five fours, racing to 18-ball fifty and repeatedly punishing Arshdeep Singh, Marko Janssen and the seam attack. SRH eventually finished on 219 for six, but not before Punjab put up a fight. Shashank Singh turned the match around with a key double strike, removing both Abhishek and Head at the same time when SRH were still flying at 120/0.
Xavier Bartlett
He also kept things tight at the death, conceding just five runs in his last outing. In response, the Punjab Kings came out with similar aggression. Priyansh Arya and Prabhasimran Singh launched a brutal counter-attack, adding 99 runs for the opening wicket. The pair powered PBKS to 93 without losing on the powerplay, which is quite in keeping with SRH’s previous attack. Priyansh was sensational, smashing a 16-ball fifty and dismantling Harshal Patel, Ishan Malinga and Harsh Dubey. Prabhsimran backed up with a quick 51 off 25, including a brave six against Jaydev Unadkat and others.
Even after a brief wobble when Shivang Kumar picked up three wickets, including key runs in the middle overs, Punjab remained ahead at the required rate throughout the chase. At 128/3 in the 11th over, SRH had a glimmer of hope, but Shreyas Iyer took complete control. He timed the chase perfectly, finding boundaries at regular intervals, maintaining a strike rate above 200, and ensuring there was no late drama. He made his unbeaten 69 off 33 in a dominant finish, as PBKS crossed the line comfortably and completed another memorable high-scoring chase.