Shreyas Iyer (Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry photo)
New Delhi: Punjab Kings continued their strong start in IPL 2026 with a five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings, thanks to a captain’s knock from Shreyas Iyer and a strong team effort. Chasing a huge target of 210, PBKS remained calm under pressure and crossed the line in eight balls, handing CSK their second successive loss.CSK had earlier posted 209/5 after being put up to bat. Youngster Aayush Mhatre led the charge with 73 runs, while Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dubey added quick hits towards the end to take the total past 200 runs.
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A key partnership between Mhatre and Ruturaj Gaikwad helped build the innings, although PBKS pulled things back with a timely wicket.In reply, Punjab got off to a blistering start with Priyansh Arya scoring 39 off just 11 balls.
Prabhsimran Singh and Cooper Connolly made useful contributions, keeping the chase on track. As the pressure mounted, skipper Shreyas Iyer stepped up and scored a calm half-century and took control of the match through smart shot selection. Later, Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis finished the job comfortably.
“Play to impress each other”
After the match, Iyer revealed the team’s mentality, adding: “Well, it’s not planned, honestly, but we’ve just decided in the dressing room that whatever happens, we’re going to play a kind of cricket that is meant to impress each other, not others outside.”
He praised the strong start, saying, “Priyansh and Purab are doing the job at the start… It’s great to see them giving us that start and that stabilizes the rhythm for us.”Regarding Arya’s explosive innings, he added: “Absolutely. I mean, getting 39 off 11 balls, that’s the start we need, especially when you’re chasing 208.”Explaining his bowling choices, Iyer said: “Usually we know how much he’s impressed over the years. He’s probably one of the best bowlers in the Indian Premier League so far. So whenever I have doubts, I do it.”Punjab’s clear mentality and teamwork have now put them at the top of the table.