Vyshak said he was unsure if he would be brought into the game.
Vyshak Vijaykumar credited his Punjab Kings (PBKS) teammate Arshdeep Singh for helping him perfect the wide yorker strategy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against Gujarat Titans (GT).
Vyshak had no idea he would be called in as an Impact Player until the 13th over of Gujarat Titans’ (GT) chase in Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) IPL 2025 opener. However, when Arshdeep Singh suggested bringing him in, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer trusted his lead pacer’s advice.
With 75 runs required from 36 balls, Vyshak, after discussing his plans with the support staff, focused on executing wide yorkers. His strategy was to target Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford, knowing that their strike rates against such deliveries were relatively low.
While speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Vyshak said he was unsure if he would be brought into the game. The team was also considering using a spinner. However, he found out that he would be playing in the 14th over. Throughout the match, he had been thinking about his bowling plans, so when the chance came, he was fully prepared.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be there. They were also thinking of a spinner. And then I got to know I’ll be on for the 14th over. All along, I had been going through my plans – so when the opportunity came, I was ready to go,” Vyshak said.
As Vyshak stepped onto the field, Arshdeep advised him to bowl on the wider side instead of sticking to their original plan, which included mixing variations like his well-known knuckleball.
At first, the plan was to bowl slow bouncers, Vyshak explained. However, since the pitch was not two-paced and the ball was not stopping due to the heavy dew, the coaches decided to focus on wide yorkers instead. Vyshak simply had to execute the plan they had set
“Initially, Plan A was to bowl slow bouncers,” Vyshak said. “But the wicket wasn’t two-paced. The ball wasn’t holding up. There was a lot of dew. Considering all that, the coaches said, ‘Let’s stick to the wide yorker. ‘ It was a case of them planning and me executing,” he added.
Vyshak kept things tight in his first two overs, giving away only ten runs. When he came back for his third over, Gujarat Titans (GT) still needed 45 runs from the final 12 balls, with Jos Buttler already dismissed.
Vyshak’s disciplined bowling had already put GT on the back foot. Although he gave away 18 runs in the 19th over, GT still faced a tough task, needing 27 runs off the final over. Punjab Kings (PBKS) eventually sealed an 11-run win, capping a strong return for Vyshak after missing the second half of the Ranji Trophy due to a quadriceps injury.
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