Follow UsShreyas Iyer couldn’t have asked for a better start in his IPL debut for Punjab Kings against Gujarat Titans on March 25 (Tuesday). After losing the toss and being put to bat first, Iyer put on a batting masterclass for his new side, smashing a 42-ball 97, where he hit five boundaries and cleared the boundary nine times.
“Getting 97 not out in the opening game of the season for us is the icing on the cake. I got a four on the first ball I faced, and it got me going. That flick six off Rabada as well,” Iyer said in the post-match presentation.
Towards the back end of the first innings, Punjab pressed on the accelerator with 87 runs in the last five overs, with the duo of Shashank Singh and Iyer smashing the ball to all parts of the ground. When asked about whether it was a conscious decision to hit from both ends, Iyer pointed out at the ‘dew factor’.
“44 runs he scored off 16-17 off balls was pretty crucial for the team. We set a benchmark that we had to go for it. With the dew coming things could change and thankfully, he performed,” he added.
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Vyshak Vijaykumar was introduced into the attack, with GT needing 74 runs off the last six overs. It could have gone either way, but that’s where the Karnataka man came to the fore. He bowled three overs and conceded just 28 runs while everyone around him was getting pumped.
“He is a funny character. He has traits where he comes in with the right attitude. He bowled the yorkers straightaway, keeping his calm and composure. Arshdeep played an important role in that (the wide yorker plan). He came in and said the ball is actually reversing a bit, so the saliva on the ball is helping the bowlers a bit, I guess,” he said.
But the damage really was done when Arshdeep Singh had the prized scalp of Sai Sudharsan (41-ball 74), which tilted the game in Punjab’s favour. Iyer also added that the talk in the dressing room before the start of the season was to leave ‘no stone unturned’, which was exactly what they did in their IPL 2025 opener.
“He got Sai and that changed the momentum for us and then he came in and said let's start the wide yorkers earlier than trying it too late. Before the season started, we left no stone unturned. In our meetings, everyone chipped in with what we can execute on the field and it wasn't just me talking. We look to carry forward the momentum into the other games as well.”