In a thrilling IPL 2025 opener between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans, Shreyas Iyer played a brilliant knock of 97 off 42 balls, but missed a well-deserved century by a whisker. Despite being stranded on 97, Iyer's focus was on the team’s success rather than personal milestones. During the death overs, he faced only four balls between the 17th and 20th overs, scoring seven runs. His message to Shashank Singh, who was at the crease, was clear: “Don’t worry about my 100, just hit as many boundaries as you can.”
Shashank took the captain’s words to heart, scoring a quick-fire 44 not out off just 16 balls, including six fours and two sixes. He played a crucial role in pushing PBKS’ total to 243/5. In the last over, Shashank hit five boundaries off Mohammed Siraj, collecting 23 runs, helping secure a thrilling 11-run victory for PBKS.
Post-match, Shashank revealed that he considered giving the strike to Iyer but was encouraged by his captain to focus on hitting boundaries instead. Shashank’s power-hitting and Iyer’s selfless leadership proved to be decisive in PBKS' win.