Shreyas Iyer after his first ton of IPL in PBKS’ win over LSG (Photo: ANI)
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer notched one of the best knocks of IPL 2026, as he smashed his maiden IPL century in a high-pressure, must-win encounter against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Facing a do-or-die situation in the decider, Iyer rose to the occasion with an unbeaten 101, to guide PBKS to a crushing seven-wicket win and keep their qualification hopes alive.The PBKS skipper reached his century in style with a towering six as Punjab comfortably chased down 196 and climbed into the top four in the points table ahead of the final round of league matches.Batting first, LSG scored 196/6 in 20 overs, aided by an explosive 72 off 44 balls from Josh Inglis.
However, the hosts lost momentum during the middle overs as the PBKS bowlers tightened the scoring rate and picked up regular wickets.Punjab’s chase got off to a shaky start with early wickets, but Iyer steadied the innings brilliantly under pressure. Along with Prabhsimran Singh, he put together a massive 140-run partnership that completely shifted the momentum in PBKS’ favour. This win not only ended Punjab’s six-match losing streak, but also produced a historic moment for Iyer.
The PBKS captain became the third captain in franchise history to score a century in the Indian Premier League after:
- KL Rahul – 132* against RCB (2020)
- Adam Gilchrist – 106 against RCB (2011)
- Shreyas Iyer – 101* v. LSG (2026)
Iyer also entered the elite list for IPL captaincy by becoming only the fourth captain in the history of the tournament to score a century while chasing a target.Centuries by captains in IPL chases
- 119 – Virender Sehwag vs Deccan Chargers (2011)
- 108* – Virat Kohli vs Rising Pune Super Giant (2016)
- 119 – Sanju Samson vs BBKS (2021)
- 101* – Shreyas Iyer v. LSG (2026)
Playoffs opportunity in Punjab
Punjab Kings (PBKS) currently stand at fourth place in the IPL 2026 points table with 15 points from 14 matches, but their qualifiers in the playoffs are completely out of their hands. If RR wins this afternoon’s match against MI, they will reach 16 points and automatically secure fourth place, eliminating Punjab immediately. If RR loses to MI, Punjab will look forward to the evening match. If DC beats KKR, KKR is stuck at 13 points and DC gets to just 14 points.
Because Punjab had 15 points, they qualified safely.
