Punjab Kings continued their impressive start in the IPL 2025, effortlessly chasing down a target of 172 set by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) with eight wickets and 22 balls to spare, thanks to another standout performance from skipper Shreyas Iyer. Iyer remained unbeaten on 52 off just 30 deliveries, marking his second consecutive half-century in the tournament.
Reflecting on Iyer’s exceptional form, former England captain Michael Vaughan praised his modern, fearless approach on Cricbuzz: “People like SKY, Iyer—they are very modern players. They put their chest out, look the bowler in the eye, and say ‘who are you?’. Some balls Iyer hit to the boundary weren’t even terrible deliveries. Against the spinners, especially, he makes it look incredibly easy.”
Former Australia women’s team skipper Lisa Sthalekar further emphasized the flair in Iyer’s batting, adding, “Iyer just has that extra time. He has got a bit of a showman in him.”
Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer himself emphasized the team’s positive momentum after their strong start: “It is the start we needed. One win chasing, one win batting first—this shows our versatility and adaptability.” But about his own innings, Iyer was very dismissive, stating that he was already looking ahead to the next game. “This innings is history for me already. I want to focus on the next,” Iyer said in the post-match presentation.
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Michael Vaughan had no qualms declaring that Shreyas Iyer would return to the Indian T20I team if he continued to dominate the bowling as he has done in the first two games of IPL 2025 for Punjab Kings. “After this season, uff, he should be in the Indian T20I team,” he added.
Vaughan also shared his thoughts on Punjab’s strength and potential this season: “I will say this—Punjab look very strong. RCB have also got a good group, but if you ask me at this stage, Punjab or RCB? I’ll pick Punjab.”
Punjab Kings fast bowler Arshdeep Singh had also praised the leadership skills of newly-appointed captain Shreyas Iyer ahead of the game. Arshdeep, who was roped in for Rs 18 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, highlighted Iyer’s supportive approach, noting how he backs players to express themselves and play freely.
With this clinical victory over LSG, Punjab Kings have risen to second in the IPL 2025 points table, just behind RCB on net run rate. Their comprehensive win significantly boosted their net run rate, now standing at an impressive +1.485.
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