Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer lauded the collective effort of the team after an 11-run win against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Tuesday. PBKS posted a par score of 243 runs on the board with Iyer scoring his highest IPL score – 97* off 42 balls.
The in-form right-hander smashed five fours and nine maximums in his blistering knock. Iyer hailed the crucial role played by Shashank Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Arshdeep Singh in the win.
Shashank, who was retained by PBKS, smashed 44 runs off just 16 balls to add the finishing touches. With Iyer stranded on 97, Singh took 23 runs off the final over against Mohammed Siraj after he got the nod from the captain to not worry about his hundred.
Shreyas Iyer said in the post-match presentation, “Getting 97 not out in the opening game of the season for us is the icing on the cake. I got a four the first ball I faced and it got me going. That flick six off Rabada as well. 44 runs he (Shashank) scored off 16-17 balls was pretty crucial for the team. We set a benchmark that we had to go for it. With the dew coming things could change and thankfully he performed.”
With the ball, GT was on the right track but Vijaykumar Vyshak was able to nail his wide yorkers against Sherfane Rutherford. Vyshak conceded only 10 runs in the 15th and 17th over he bowled and played a key role in the team’s win. Furthermore, Iyer praised Arshdeep Singh for dismissing a well-settled Sai Sudharsan and said the left-arm seamer came up with a wide-yorker plan.
Lauding Vyshak and Arshdeep, Iyer said, “Vyshak is a funny character. He has got traits in him where he comes in with the right attitude. He bowled the yorkers straightaway. Kept his calm and composure. Arshdeep played an important role in that (the wide yorker plan). He came in and said the ball is actually reversing a bit so the saliva on the ball is helping the bowlers a bit I guess. He got Sai and that changed the momentum for us and then he came in and said let’s start the wide yorkers earlier than trying it too late.”
Punjab Kings will next take on Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on Tuesday.
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