How Shreyas Iyer's Crucial Advice To Ricky Ponting Played Key Role In PBKS' Win Over LSG
Shreyas Iyer played a captain's knock to help Punjab Kings ease past Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets in their IPL 2026 game.
- Shreyas Iyer played a captain's knock to help PBKS ease past LSG by seven wickets in their IPL 2026
- The victory helped Punjab Kings put an end to their six-match losing streak
- "I told Ricky let's not do any team meetings. Let's just head to the ground and do our rituals," Iyer said
Shreyas Iyer played a captain's knock to help Punjab Kings ease past Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets in their IPL 2026 game in Lucknow on Saturday. The win helped PBKS stay alive in the playoff race. In the chase of a 197-run target, Punjab were reduced to 22 for 2 in 2.2 overs. This is when Iyer walked in and stitched a solid 140-run partnership with Prabhsimran Singh. While the opener fell for 69, Iyer took his innings deep and smashed an unbeaten ton.
With the knock, Iyer became the first-ever captain in IPL history to smash a century while coming in to bat at number four or below. Apart from Iyer, a total of 16 IPL captains have hit centuries, but all of them batted in the top three.
Shreyas Iyer earned the Player of the Match award for his heroics.
"I'm ecstatic, to be honest. It's my first hundred of the season and came at the right time when the team needed it. We won eventually after six consecutive losses. It's a great positive and just hoping to support MI tomorrow," said the PBKS captain, whose knock put an end to his side's six-match losing streak.
"I know if I give myself some time in the middle and time the ball as much as possible rather than getting on top of the ball and trying to score off a good ball. I feel it's necessary for me to stay out there as much as possible because then the runs keep coming," he added.
Iyer revealed that he told PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting not to have any team meeting ahead of the game against LSG.
"Today, I literally told Ricky that let's not do any team meetings. Let's just head to the ground and do our rituals, which we've been doing consistently, and we could see the result," Iyer concluded.
Earlier, Josh Inglis slammed 72 off 44 balls as LSG posted 196 for 6. LSG were reduced to 20 for 2 before Inglis and Ayush Badoni (43 off 18) brought them back into the game with a 49-run partnership.
Badoni missed his half-century, but Inglis took his innings deep, smashing nine fours and two sixes. Abdul Samad scored a crucial 37 not out off 20 towards the end.
Punjab Kings
Lucknow Super Giants