Iyer’s near century steals show in Punjab Kings’ IPL 2025 opener

Shreyas Iyer made a sensational debut as Punjab Kings (PBKs) by cracking 97 runs off 42 balls against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the competition’s opening match at Narendra Modi Stadium. Falling just short of a century, Iyer powered PBKS to a commanding 243/5, setting a steep challenge for GT.

The Indian batter, who was sold for ₹26.75 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, fulfilled the buzz around him with a spectacular innings. After opening with just 28/1 on the scoreboard, he ruled the game from the very first over, finishing off the powerplay with the speed of a bullet train and reaching his fifty in style using two consecutive Rashid Khan sixes. The 2-hour entertainment, packed with 5 fours and 9 sixes, was quite a show of his might as he added one more over 6,000 IPL and surpassed his previous best of 96 as a record.

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Punjab Kings skipper Iyer felt like he was on Cloud 9, as he was appointed as the third captain of his IPL career after his tenure at Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, and the reason was none other than their force of nature tutor, Ricky Ponting. “I wanted to set the tone with fearless cricket,” Iyer said post-match, underscoring his intent to lead from the front."

GT opted to field first, and their bowlers such as Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, and Mohammed Siraj could not reduce the onslaught of Iyer. They prepared to chase 244, and the Titans will have to go through the difficult path.

Shreyas Iyer has fired a shot with a nuclear force at the beginning of a path that has waited Punjab Kings fans for 18 years for an IPL championship. The 2024 KKR-winning skipper who almost produced a perfect innings has sent a signal of Punjab Kings’ intentions in IPL 2025.