Shashank Singh smashed Siraj for five fours in the final over to score 23 runs, but Shreyas Iyer, at 97 from 42 balls, failed to get the strike.
In their IPL 2025 opener against Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer faced just four balls and scored seven runs between the 17th and 20th overs of their innings. He was stuck at an undefeated 97 and almost missed a well-earned century, but he never once considered hitting three figures in the final overs. The instruction from Shreyas was very clear, according to Shashank Singh, who took the most of the strike in the final three overs and gave PBKS a spectacular conclusion with a barrage of sixes and boundaries: “Don’t think about my 100; just hit as many boundaries as you can.”
That’s exactly what Shashank did. The right-hander, who established himself as a finisher in the previous IPL, came in to bat at No. 7 in the 16th over of the PBKS innings. He struck six fours and a couple of sixes to blast an undefeated 44 off only 16 balls, bringing Punjab’s total to 243 for 5.
“To be really honest, Shreyas told me not to worry about my hundred at ball one. During the innings break, Shashank told Star Sports, “I’m just watching the ball and responding to it.”
Shashank struck Mohammed Siraj for five fours in the final over to score 23 runs, but Shreyas failed to obtain the strike. That ultimately turned out to be one of the decisive elements as PBKS prevailed by 11 runs in the high-scoring match. Who knows what Punjab’s total would have been if Shashank had considered giving strike to Shreyas so he could finish his century rather than going all guns blazing.
Regarding Shreyas Iyer’s missing century, Shashank Singh said, “I didn’t look at the scoreboard.”
Shashank disclosed during the post-match presentation that he had contemplated surrendering the strike to Shreyas in the final over, but the captain approached him and pushed him to smash as many boundaries as he could.
“I choose not to check the scores. I looked at it after hitting the first ball and noticed that Shreyas was on 97. I remained silent. ‘Shashank, don’t worry about my 100’ was all he said. It takes a lot of heart and courage, so of course I was going to ask, “Should I give you a single or something?” In the IPL, getting 100s isn’t easy,” Shashank told media in Ahmedabad.
The all-rounder from Chhattisgarh claimed that Shreyas’ altruistic deed inspired him even more. “The manner in which Shreyas instructed me to hit every ball for a six or a boundary, Shasank. I felt much more confident after that. It’s a team game, but Shreyas was one of those people who found it hard to be selfless at the time. He hasn’t changed in the ten to fifteen years that I’ve known him. We finished well, by God’s grace,” he continued.
in a calm batting track with dew in the outfield, Shashank also commended his good friend Shreyas, with whom he played age-group cricket in Mumbai, for his leadership during the 243-run defense.
After the 13th over of the GT chase, Shreyas brought on Vijaykumar Vyshak as an Impact Sub. With his skillfully delivered wide yorkers, the right-arm bowler put a stop to well-set batsmen Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford.
“One of the greatest captains is Shreyas. He follows his intuition. He added, “Even I believe that was the ideal moment to acquire Vijaykumar Vyashak (as an Impact Sub).”