Skipper Shreyas Iyer started his stint with Punjab Kings on a winning note as he played a cracking 97*-run knock off 42 to guide his side to an 11-run victory over Gujarat Titans in their opening match of the IPL 2025 on Tuesday in Ahmedabad. Iyer, blazed 9 sixes and 5 boundaries to take his side to 243/5 in 20 overs.
Iyer, meanwhile, missed out on his hundred, with Shashank Singh hammering 24 off the 20th over. When asked, Shahank told he was asked to smash every ball and not to worry about Iyer’s strike.
“Obviously, I didn't see the scoreboard to be very honest, but after the first ball I hit, I saw the scoreboard and Shreyas was on 97. I didn’t say anything. He only came and told me ’Shashank don’t worry about my hundred’. I was going to ask him if I should take a single or something but he only came and told me to not worry about his hundred. It takes a lot of heart and courage to say that because obviously hundreds don't come easily in T20, especially in IPL. That gave me even more confidence,” Shashank said in the post-match press conference.
"It's a team game we all know, but then in those situations, it's difficult to be that selfless but Shreyas was one. I have known him for the past 15 years, he is the same. He told me just to be calm, to play cricketing shots that I usually play, to maintain my balance and by God's grace, I think we had a good finish."
Panjab Kings restricted Gujarat Titans to 232/5 in 20 overs despite Jos Buttler and Sai Sudharsan playing impressive knocks of (74) and (54) respectively.