Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer left the Ekana Stadium buzzing on Saturday night after steering his team to a seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026. Iyer struck a match-winning century and finished unbeaten, earning Player of the Match honours as PBKS chased down the target successfully. The right-hander described the triumph as especially meaningful because it arrived after the franchise had suffered six straight defeats. “Ecstatic—this is my first hundred of the season. We eventually got the win after six consecutive losses. Support MI tomorrow,” Iyer said. Along the way, his unbeaten T20 hundred also took him to 7,000 runs in the format.
Looking back at the contest, the PBKS skipper praised the bowling group for regaining control after a shaky beginning. He pointed out the impact of momentum in such tight situations, noting that the bowlers’ response set up the chase. “Elated by the bowling performance after going for 16 off the first over, Omarzai bowled brilliantly… It’s all about momentum in this situation. Chahal took a crucial wicket of Pant; he showed his character after leaking runs in the previous game,” Iyer added.
Iyer also explained the mindset behind his batting during the chase, stressing that composure and timing matter most when the pressure rises. “I know if I give myself time in the middle and time the ball, rather than getting on top of the ball… I know I need to stay out there for as long as possible,” he said.
In addition, the captain highlighted the contribution of opener Prabhsimran Singh, calling attention to his calm approach and the important rhythm they built at the top. “Prabhsimran Singh was temperamentally active, and the communication we had was great… surreal feeling—finishing a game and scoring a century. I was in a great mind space, felt super from within. Partnership was crucial, creating momentum in the game,” Iyer said.
As for preparation, Iyer revealed the team deliberately avoided overthinking and kept their routine simple to maintain freedom of mind. “We just kept it simple, rather than having a meeting and putting pressure on the boys. Free flow of mind is required in crucial games—we don’t want to make them overthink. I told Ponting we don’t need to do a team meeting,” he added.
Earlier in the match, Punjab Kings produced a strong all-round showing to beat Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets in their IPL 2026 encounter in Lucknow. PBKS chased the set target of 197 comfortably, completing the job with an over to spare.
Shreyas Iyer set the tone for the chase with a superb unbeaten maiden IPL century, finishing on 101 off 51 balls. Prabhsimran Singh supported him with a fluent 69 off 39 deliveries, and the pair’s momentum carried PBKS over the line. The victory helped the side move up to fourth place in the standings with 15 points.
Lucknow, meanwhile, had posted 196/6 after a solid start. Josh Inglis top-scored with 72 off 44 balls, while Abdul Samad added a quickfire 37. Even though Punjab received regular breakthroughs, including wickets from Yuzvendra Chahal and Marco Jansen, Lucknow’s total ultimately proved short as PBKS overhauled it with ease.
