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'Shreyas is someone who works on instincts as a captain. That's why he's one of the best captains in the world right now'
Shreyas Iyer and Shashank Singh, the dynamic Punjab Kings duo, produced a blistering finish, adding 77 runs in the last four overs to leave Gujarat Titans rattled in their own backyard.
Making a rare appearance at No. 3 for the first time since IPL 2022, Shreyas faced just four deliveries in the final three overs of PBKS’ innings but played a crucial leadership role in the team’s powerful finish.
Reflecting on the partnership, Shashank credited Shreyas for his selfless approach and invaluable guidance in the high-pressure situation.
"It's a team game, we all know, but then in those situations, it's difficult to be that selfless, but Shreyas was one. I have known him for the past 15 years—he is the same. He told me just to be calm, to play cricketing shots that I usually play, to maintain my balance, and by God's grace, I think we had a good finish," Shashank said.
Despite PBKS posting a mammoth total, GT refused to back down, embracing the challenge of what could have been the second-highest successful run chase in IPL history. Sai Sudharsan played a dazzling knock of 74 off 41 balls, keeping GT in the hunt. Jos Buttler (54) and Sherfane Rutherford (46) provided crucial support, with GT hammering 87 runs between overs 9 to 14 to tilt the momentum in their favour.
With the required rate climbing past 12 runs per over, PBKS found themselves under immense pressure, especially with heavy dew making it difficult for the bowlers to hit their marks. GT needed 75 off the last six overs—still within reach given the conditions.
That’s when impact player Vijaykumar Vyshak turned the tide with a masterful spell, shutting down GT’s momentum. Bowling with pinpoint accuracy, Vyshak conceded just 10 runs in his first two overs and delivered 10 dot balls, as PBKS strung together three consecutive overs without allowing a single boundary. GT never recovered from the sudden slowdown and eventually fell 11 runs short of what could have been a historic chase.
Shashank lauded Shreyas’ tactical instincts, crediting the PBKS captain for backing Vyshak at a crucial juncture.
"Shreyas is someone who works on instincts as a captain. That's why he's one of the best captains in the world right now. Even I feel that that was the right time to get Vyshak, and the way he bowled... in the bowling meeting, we usually plan all those things. So this was a planned thing. The way he executed the plan was commendable. Those were the hard overs he bowled because there was some dew," Shashank said.
He further praised Vyshak’s execution under pressure, acknowledging the difficulty of delivering in crunch moments.
"These are the moments you have to win. Vyshak came, and he nailed it. It is very difficult to bowl those yorkers, but he did his job to perfection, and kudos to him," he added.