Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer became the fourth leader in Indian Premier League (IPL) history to score a century while chasing a target. During a crucial match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Iyer scored an unbeaten 101 runs from 51 balls, including 11 fours and five sixes, at a strike rate of 198.04.
Iyer joined Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, and Sanju Samson in this exclusive group. Sehwag scored 119 against Deccan Chargers in 2011, Kohli made 108* against Rising Pune Super Giant in 2016, and Samson hit 119 against Punjab Kings in 2021, according to Cricbuzz.
Additionally, Iyer became the third PBKS captain to register an IPL century, following KL Rahul, who scored 132* against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2020, and Adam Gilchrist, who made 106 against the same team in 2011.
Iyer also surpassed 7,000 runs in T20 cricket. Across 254 matches, he has accumulated 7,076 runs in 247 innings, maintaining an average of 35.02 and a strike rate exceeding 135, including four centuries and 48 half-centuries. In the current IPL season, Iyer has scored 498 runs in 13 innings at an average of 55.33 and a strike rate of 168.01, comprising one century and five fifties, with his highest score being 101*.
For PBKS, Iyer has amassed 1,102 runs in 31 matches and 30 innings, averaging 52.47 with a strike rate above 172, including one century and 11 fifties.
In the match, PBKS chose to field first. Lucknow’s innings featured strong performances from Josh Inglis, who scored 72 runs off 44 balls with nine fours and two sixes, Ayush Badoni with 43 runs in 18 balls including five fours and three sixes, and Abdul Samad, who remained unbeaten on 37 from 20 balls with three fours and three sixes, helping LSG reach 196/6 in 20 overs. Yuzvendra Chahal (2/25) and Marco Jansen (2/33) were the standout bowlers for PBKS.
During the chase, Iyer’s unbeaten 101 and Prabhsimran Singh’s 69 runs off 39 balls, featuring seven fours and two sixes, guided PBKS to a victory by seven wickets with two overs remaining, ending their six-match losing streak.
With this win, PBKS moved to fourth place on the points table with 15 points from seven wins and six losses. However, their playoff qualification depends on upcoming results. If Rajasthan Royals defeat Mumbai Indians, RB will reach 16 points and secure the fourth playoff spot, eliminating PBKS. If Rajasthan Royals lose, Kolkata Knight Riders must defeat Delhi Capitals by a significant margin to surpass PBKS on net run rate and tie on points to claim the playoff berth.
