A brilliant 97 from Shreyas Iyer, coupled with an explosive 44 from Shashank Singh, guided Punjab Kings to a thrilling 11-run victory over Gujarat Titans in another high-scoring encounter in the Indian Premier League at the Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday.
Punjab Kings, winning the toss and electing to bat first, suffered an early setback when Prabhsimran Singh was dismissed for just five runs by Kagiso Rabada. However, Iyer quickly settled in, and alongside Priyansh Arya, took charge of the innings. The duo smashed 51 runs off just 21 balls, pushing the team total to 79.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan provided Gujarat Titans with a much-needed breakthrough when he dismissed Arya for 23 off 47 balls, giving the Titans a glimmer of hope.
Punjab was briefly in trouble as Sai Kishore struck twice in consecutive deliveries, removing Azmatullah Omerzai and Australian Glenn Maxwell. With Punjab at 105 for 4, the game seemed to be swinging in Gujarat’s favor.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically when Iyer was joined by Singh. Together, they put on an astonishing 81-run partnership in just 28 balls, changing the course of the match.
Iyer, in particular, took control, blasting nine sixes in a scintillating knock of 97 from just 42 balls. Singh added firepower with his rapid 44 off just 16 balls, lifting Punjab to a daunting total of 243/5 in their 20 overs.
For Gujarat, Sai Kishore was the standout bowler, taking three wickets, while Indian fast bowler Mohammad Siraj struggled, conceding 54 runs in his four overs.
Chasing 244 for victory, Gujarat’s openers got off to a fiery start, posting 61 runs in the powerplay. However, just before the end of the sixth over, Gujarat’s captain, Shubman Gill, was dismissed for 33 off 14 balls, including three sixes. The wicket handed Punjab a crucial breakthrough.
Sai Sudharsan then steadied the innings with a superb 74 off 41 balls. He formed a key 84-run partnership with England’s Jos Buttler, who played a valuable knock of 54 runs. However, Sudharsan’s innings was cut short when he was dismissed by Arshdeep Singh, leaving Gujarat at 145/2.
Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford (46 off 28 balls) fought hard to keep Gujarat in the hunt, but the required run rate kept climbing. The pivotal moment came when Marco Jansen bowled out Buttler, rattling the stumps and leaving Gujarat needing 57 runs from the final 18 balls.
Rutherford continued to battle but ultimately couldn’t get Gujarat over the line as they finished with 232/5 in their 20 overs, falling 11 runs short of their target.
Punjab Kings held on to secure a hard-fought victory in what was an entertaining contest. Shreyas Iyer’s exceptional knock of 97 was the highlight of the day, earning him the “Man of the Match” award.
Punjab Kings won by 11 runs, marking a successful start to their IPL campaign.
Â