A blistering unbeaten 97 from skipper Shreyas Iyer, a powerful finish from Shashank Singh and a terrific exhibition of bowling at the death from impact sub Vijaykumar Vyshak helped a new-look Punjab Kings make a winning start to IPL 2025. Gujarat Titans were in the hunt for the major part of the chase despite having a daunting target of 244 in front of them, but they fell short in the end by a mere 11 runs.
Shreyas Iyer plays a captain's knock for Punjab Kings
Priyansh Arya seized the opportunity to shine early in his IPL career. He struck a boundary off just the second ball he faced, and despite receiving a significant reprieve in the following over, the left-handed batsman capitalized on that missed chance. He confidently faced Mohammed Siraj again, executing a smooth flick for a six, followed by another boundary. Kagiso Rabada provided the Titans with an early breakthrough by dismissing Prabhsimran Singh. However, Shreyas Iyer entered the field with determination for his new team, taking on the South African bowler with a four and a six from his first four deliveries. Arshad Khan was the next bowler to face Arya’s onslaught, as he was greeted with three exquisite fours and a six. In total, the team amassed 73 runs during the powerplay, with the young opener contributing 42 of those runs.
Following the powerplay, the Titans turned to Rashid Khan in hopes of securing a crucial breakthrough. He delivered as expected, dismissing Arya, who fell short of his debut fifty by just three runs due to a top edge. However, Rashid’s fellow Afghan teammate, Azmatullah Omarzai, announced his aggressive intent by hitting a six off the very first ball he faced. He then struck Prasidh Krishna for a couple of boundaries, but in between those hits, Sai Kishore showcased his exceptional bowling skills, delivering a remarkable spell.
Kishore was rewarded with two wickets in consecutive deliveries, sending both Omarzai and Glenn Maxwell back to the pavilion, which left PBKS in a precarious position. Nevertheless, Shreyas remained undeterred, launching Sai Kishore’s next over with two enormous sixes. At one point, he was exclusively scoring sixes, concluding the subsequent over from Rashid with another pair of sixes to reach his fifty. The momentum continued as Shreyas and Marcus Stoinis each targeted Siraj, hitting a six apiece, culminating in an impressive display of batting.
Sai Kishore claimed the crucial wicket of Stoinis. However, this was soon overshadowed by an impressive display from the well-established Shreyas and newcomer Shashank Singh. The captain initiated the onslaught with a remarkable 24-run over, hitting three more sixes throughout the evening to reach 90 runs. Despite remaining not out until the end, he fell short of his century due to Shashank’s outstanding performance. Buoyed by his success from the previous season, Shashank hit Rashid for a six and followed it up with another lofty shot straight down the ground, quickly accumulating 20 runs off just 7 balls. In the final over, he prevented Shreyas from facing the deliveries while the captain was on 97, taking on all six balls himself.
Jos Buttler and Sai Sudarshan excel in an unsuccessful chase
Sai Sudharsan began with a few impressive shots, yet Omarzai and Arshdeep Singh effectively restricted him, resulting in the Titans scoring only 17 runs in the first three overs. This situation prompted Shubman Gill to take charge from the other end, hitting the Afghan allrounder for a six and following it up with another six just two balls later. The Titans finally gained momentum when both openers struck two more sixes during Marco Jansen’s first over. However, the introduction of Maxwell in the final over of the powerplay turned out to be a strategic move for the bowling side, as Gill misplayed a shot in an attempt to hit a big one down the ground, leading to his dismissal for a quick 33 runs off 14 balls.
To remain competitive, the Titans needed a monumental effort. They managed to maintain their position as Sudharsan began to accelerate following Gill’s exit. He initially targeted Stoinis and then took on Yuzvendra Chahal, allowing Jos Buttler to settle in. Maxwell’s return to the attack was ineffective this time, as both batters hit a six each, forcing him out of the bowling rotation. Sudharsan then attacked Chahal again, scoring two fours and a six in one over, which shifted the pressure back onto the bowlers. Arshdeep returned to the attack and finally dismissed the well-set Sudharsan, but Buttler and impact substitute Sherfane Rutherford then launched a fierce assault, reducing the target to a manageable 75 runs off 36 balls with eight wickets still in hand.
Vyshak’s entry as a crucial substitute for PBKS proved pivotal in the match’s outcome. With six overs remaining, he began his bowling spell and consistently executed wide yorkers, particularly targeting Rutherford, which shifted the momentum in favor of his team. Although he did stray off target occasionally, resulting in a few wides, the significant run requirement for the Titans rendered those errors inconsequential. In the midst of Vyshak’s first two overs, Jansen delivered an outstanding over, and collectively, those three overs allowed the Titans to score only 18 runs.
This situation meant that the batting team needed something extraordinary in the final three overs. Jansen conceded just 12 runs in the 18th over, a commendable performance given the match’s context, and he also dismissed the dangerous Buttler. In the penultimate over, Vyshak was eventually hit for a couple of fours and a six; however, these runs came only after the earlier overs had already inflicted significant damage. With 27 runs required from the last six balls, the match was effectively decided when Arshdeep bowled Rutherford out on the fourth delivery.
SCORECARD: Punjab Kings 243/5 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 97*, Priyansh Arya 47, Shashank Singh 44*; Sai Kishore 3/30) beat Gujarat Titans 232/5 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 74, Jos Buttler 54; Arshdeep Singh 2/36) by 11 runs
