Lucknow Super Giants speedster Mohammed Shami made an immediate impact against Punjab Kings on Saturday by striking with the very first ball of the innings. As PBKS chased 197, Shami delivered the opening over and removed Priyansh Arya on the first delivery, setting the tone for a match that ultimately swung decisively toward Punjab. Shreyas Iyer then produced a captain\u2019s innings to lift Punjab to a seven-wicket win and keep them in contention for a spot in the IPL 2026 playoff race.<\/p>\n
PBKS began their chase of 197 with Priyansh Arya facing Mohammed Shami in the first over. On the first ball, Shami bowled a bouncer that forced Arya into a mistimed attempt. The ball carried to the fielder at mid-wicket, and the wicket fell right away.<\/p>\n
Punjab Kings responded with a composed chase led by Shreyas Iyer, who stayed unbeaten on 101 off 51 balls. He guided PBKS to the target with 18 overs remaining in their pursuit of 197.<\/p>\n
Prabhsimran Singh provided important momentum, smashing 69 off 39 deliveries to support Iyer\u2019s run. Together, their partnership ensured Punjab never lost control of the chase after the early dent.<\/p>\n
Punjab were not handed an easy start. They slipped to 22 runs for the loss of two wickets within 2.2 overs, threatening to derail the chase. However, Iyer\u2019s unbeaten innings steadied the innings and carried Punjab through the remainder of the run chase.<\/p>\n
After the win, Iyer said he was pleased with how his hundred arrived at the right moment, especially after a difficult spell for the team. He also highlighted that the knock was his first hundred of the season and that it helped halt PBKS\u2019s slump.<\/p>\n
He also explained his approach at the crease, stating that he tried to give himself time in the middle and focus on timing the ball rather than trying to force runs off deliveries that were well bowled.<\/p>\n
Iyer further revealed he had advised the team to avoid any meeting ahead of the game against Lucknow Super Giants. He said he told head coach Ricky Ponting to skip team meetings, proceed with their routines and rituals, and then see what the result looks like on the field.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the match, Lucknow Super Giants posted 196 for 6. Josh Inglis played the anchor role with a knock of 72 off 44 balls. LSG were briefly under pressure, slumping to 20 for 2, but Inglis joined forces with Ayush Badoni, who struck 43 off 18, to swing the momentum back in their favour.<\/p>\n
Badoni fell short of a half-century, yet the partnership proved decisive, lasting long enough to bring LSG back into a competitive position. Inglis took his innings deeper, finishing with nine fours and two sixes. Abdul Samad added late acceleration with 37 not out off 20 balls, helping LSG reach a fighting total.<\/p>\n
In the bowling, Marco Jansen and Yuzvendra Chahal each picked up two wickets, sharing the wicket-taking responsibilities for Lucknow\u2019s opponents during the first innings.<\/p>\n
Lucknow Super Giants speedster Mohammed Shami made an immediate impact against Punjab Kings on Saturday by striking with the very first ball of the innings.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Shami\u2019s First-Ball Strike vs PBKS Sets Tone","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Mohammed Shami\u2019s first-ball strike sparks an IPL 2026 thriller as Punjab Kings chase 197, with Shreyas Iyer\u2019s captain\u2019s knock sealing a seven-wicket win.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n