Before PBKS’ match against RR, Shreyas Iyer was seen talking to Ricky Ponting about an issue. That issue turned out to be a small cut on his finger. He didn’t let the injury affect his batting, scoring 30 runs and setting the target of 219 runs against the inaugural champions. He gave an update regarding his injury in a post-match interview.
During Punjab’s bowling, he was seen circling the boundary and watching the match. In the post-match interview, Iyer said he couldn’t understand what had happened. He revealed that he got hit there during a practice session and had to check what the real issue was.
The 30-year-old player further added that he motivated the players from outside to always maintain a positive intent. Iyer stated that he was proud of all his teammates for showing a bold approach. He also praised the Man of the Match, Harpreet Brar, who took 3 wickets and conceded just 22 runs in his 4 overs. He said that the left-arm spinner has been consistent in the nets and was always hungry for the opportunity.
Despite losing 3 wickets for just 34 runs, PBKS reached a total of 219 runs thanks to fifties from Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi gave RR a good start, scoring 76 runs in just 5 overs. However, Brar once again showed his potential by picking up three important wickets — both openers and Riyan Parag. Punjab won the match by 10 runs and qualified for the playoffs.
Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar showers praise on Shreyas Iyer
Many fans gave captain Iyer the credit for taking PBKS to their first playoffs in 11 years. The captain-coach combination of Iyer and Ricky Ponting seems to be working after all. Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar expressed his opinion on the 30-year-old player’s captaincy.
While speaking on the post-match show, the Little Master praised Iyer and gave him full credit. He pointed out that last year, Iyer didn’t get enough recognition when he led the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third-ever IPL trophy. Gavaskar indirectly took a shot at Gautam Gambhir, who received most of the credit.
“He didn’t get the credit for the IPL victory last season. All the plaudits were given to someone else. It’s the captain, who plays a major role in what’s happening in the middle and not someone sitting in the dugout,”
Sunil Gavaskar via Star Sports
He further said that a captain should get full credit, as he plays a major role in what happens on the pitch. This was a jab at GG, who, a few days ago, had said something against the Little Master. Nevertheless, Iyer has a great chance to win another IPL trophy — this time with Punjab.
