Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Shashank Singh opened up about denying his skipper Shreyas Iyer a century during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against Gujarat Titans on Tuesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Iyer, making his captaincy debut for Punjab Kings, delivered a stunning performance at No. 3, scoring an unbeaten 97 off 42 balls. He smashed five fours and nine sixes, setting the stage for a potential century. However, Singh took charge in the final over, scoring 23 runs off seven balls and leaving Iyer stranded just short of the milestone.
Speaking during the mid-innings break, Singh revealed that Iyer encouraged him to focus on his own game rather than worry about the captain’s personal milestone. “Shreyas from ball one told me, ‘Shashank, don’t be like I am getting a hundred. Just play your shots well,’” Singh said. “Kudos to him that he spoke to me before the last over.”
Singh, who scored an unbeaten 44 off 16 balls with six fours and two sixes, credited the team’s management for giving him the confidence to play freely. “I was not thinking much. I was watching the ball closely and reacting to it,” he said. “At this level, if I pre-determine too much, then I will be behind. It was pretty simple for me — see the ball, hit the ball.”
Punjab Kings ended with a massive total of 243/5, the highest IPL score at the Narendra Modi Stadium.