Shreyas Iyer played an impressive knock to lead Punjab Kings to victory against Gujarat Titans on Tuesday. In the match played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the PBKS skipper hit 97 off just 42 balls. He smashed five fours and nine sixes and helped his team register a massive total of 243/5.
Iyer who played his debut match for PBKS was about to score his maiden century in the league when he was at 90 runs off 38 balls at the of the 17th over. However, he played just four balls in the next three overs and remained unbeaten with 97 runs at the end of the match. Because Shashank Singh who scored 44 runs off 16 balls, played most of the last three overs and scored at a strike rate of 275.
Shreyas’ advice to Shashank
During the match, Shreyas supported Shashank, who was in great form and encouraged him not to worry about his century but to focus on hitting boundaries. The advice paid off, as Shashank struck five fours and scored 23 runs in the final over bowled by Mohammed Siraj.
Talking about Shreyas’ advice to go for boundaries from the first ball, Shashank said, “When I walked in, Shreyas told me to go for it right from ball one. He told me not to think about his hundred and just play my shots to finish the game well. He gave me that confidence before the last over started. Kudos to him for the way he spoke to me.'”
Ravi Shastri’s praise
Hearing Shashank’s answer, former Indian cricketer, Ravi Shastri praised Shreyas for his unselfish attitude and said: “That’s the right thing to say in a team game.”
Player of the Match – Shreyas Iyer
Iyer who has amassed 3224 runs in 117 matches that he played in the IPL so far was named the Player of the Match in the game.
“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. 44 runs he (Shashank) scored off 16-17 balls was pretty crucial for the team. We set a benchmark that we had to go for it,” Shreyas said after winning the POTM award.
“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,” he added further.
