GT vs PBKS: Shreyas Iyer's Heroics Secure a Perfect Start for Project Punjab
Punjab Kings got off to a great start under the new captaincy of Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting. When PBKS beat GT by 11 runs, the captain scored 97 * and caught everyone's attention.
Ankush Pandey
Highlights
- GT vs. PBKS became a high-scoring thriller.
- In the IPL, Shreyas Iyer had his best innings.
- The introduction of Vijaykumar Vyshak was a huge success for Punjab.
Punjab Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by 11 runs in their opening Indian Premier League game, getting off to a fast start. The combined efforts of coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer helped the persistent underachievers win easily at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, March 25.
After scoring 243/5 in the first innings against a team that had five all-rounders, the Kings successfully defended the total by limiting Shubman Gill's GT by 11 runs. Captain Shreyas Iyer was the most impressive batter, but coach Ponting's tactical masterclass made sure Punjab kept things under control against the furious Jos Buttler in the second innings.
Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, and other notable players were in the lineup, but the unsung hero was Impact Sub Vijakumar Vyshak, who bowled a fantastic block of two overs in the second half of the innings.
GT was chasing 244 at home and had done everything correctly up until the game's fourteenth over. They had 169 runs on board for the loss of two wickets and were scoring more than 11 runs per over following the powerplay. At the crease, they had Sherfane Rutherford and Jos Buttler, who were not allowing the fast bowlers any leeway.
As the Impact Sub, Ponting used the former RCB fast bowler to attack Rutherford, who was unaware of the angles Vyshak was generating from over the wicket.
The Gujarat innings was sucked out by Jansen and Vyshak between the 15th and 18th overs, allowing only 18 runs in 3 overs—much less than what GT was aiming for.
Vyshak's strategy was straightforward: with the field spread out on the offside, bowl full and wide to Rutherford. To hit it through the leg side, the West Indian always attempted to walk into the queue. This assisted Vyshak in bowling an additional wide line, which, according to the recently revised rules, does not count as a wide in this IPL.
As the Hawk-Eye was introduced this season, Vyshak was fortunate that a number of his waist-high full tosses were not counted as no-balls. Hopefully, Vyshak's flawless use of the new regulations that day would help him throughout the remainder of the season.
In the end, GT lost by 11 runs after scoring 232/5 in 20 overs, despite the aggressive knocks from Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler.
Shreyas Iyer's Exceptional Start
In IPL history, Punjab Kings' total was the second-highest. The two debutants for Punjab, Shreyas Iyer and Priyansh Arya (47 off 23), were responsible for PBKS's commanding total on Tuesday. Additionally, Shashank Singh (44* off 16) was helpful to them. Iyer and a furious Shashank Singh, who carried on his strong play from the previous season, completed Arya's flawless start to the innings.
Shreyas Iyer's 97* was among the best right-handed batting performances we have ever witnessed. Despite his 2024 IPL victory, Iyer was left out of the Kolkata Knight Riders' lineup and had a point to prove going into the opening match.
Iyer got off to a fast start against Kagiso Rabada in the season opener, coming into bat at No. 3. To start the match, he hit the top South African pacer for a four and a six.
Iyer, who was well-known for his ability to start slowly, appeared completely different. As Shreyas Iyer hammered nine sixes and five fours in his innings, it was evident that he had played a full season of Indian domestic cricket with Mumbai before making a comeback with the Indian ODI team.
