Shreyas Iyer lit up the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday night with a blistering knock of 97 off just 42 balls*, in what was his first match as Punjab Kings captain in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. However, in a cruel twist of fate, Iyer fell just three runs short of his maiden IPL century, unable to get back on strike for the final seven deliveries of the innings.
Despite narrowly missing the three-figure mark, the knock stands as Iyer’s career-best score in IPL history, surpassing his previous best of 96, which he had scored back in 2017.
The stylish right-hander reached the milestone in dominant fashion, smashing 5 fours and 9 sixes, and maintaining a blistering strike rate of 230.95. His innings helped Punjab Kings post a formidable 239/5 in 19.5 overs against Gujarat Titans.
Adding to the significance of the evening, Iyer also completed 6,000 runs in his IPL career, becoming one of the elite few to reach the milestone.
The innings was a perfect captain’s knock — aggressive, composed, and full of intent. While the century eluded him this time, Iyer’s performance marked a roaring start to a new chapter in his IPL career, now in Punjab Kings colours.
