Shreyas Iyer produced a captain’s knock with his maiden IPL century as Punjab Kings defeated Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets to stay alive in the IPL 2026 playoff race.
Iyer remained unbeaten on 101 off 51 balls and stitched a match-winning 140-run partnership with Prabhsimran Singh, who smashed 69. Reflecting on the win, Iyer said the hundred “came at the right time when the team needed it” after Punjab snapped a six-game losing streak. Coach Ricky Ponting praised Iyer’s leadership and backed him for a bright future in India’s T20 setup.
Punjab’s qualification chances now depend on the results of Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders’ remaining matches.