Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer has been quietly becoming one of the most dangerous batsmen in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026), and the way he is finishing games and handling pressure, he is proving it with every match.
Shreyas Iyer has been making big chases look easy with his calmness and control in the current season, and former Indian batsman Manoj Tiwary feels the PBKS skipper is getting closer to the level where Virat Kohli has dominated over the years as one of the greatest chasing masters of the game.
Shreyas Iyer helps PBKS achieve spectacular target against SRH
Iyer played a brilliant inning when his team needed him the most during Punjab Kings’ IPL 2026 clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Mullanpur on Saturday, April 11. They were chasing a huge target of 220, and they got off to a great start, but suddenly they suffered a shocking collapse.
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However, the PBKS captain remained calm, played smart cricket and took the game away from SRH. Iyer played an incredible inning of 69 not out with the help of 5 fours and 5 sixes in just 33 balls and continued the chase. At the other end, Lavnith Sisodia gave him solid support by scoring 32 not out.
Sisodia and Iyer made a strong partnership of 108 runs and took the team to an easy win of 115/4. Punjab Kings completed the chase with 7 balls to spare and registered their third win of the season with the match being washed out against KKR. They are now at second place in the points table.
Manoj Tiwari sees Virat Kohli-like qualities in Shreyas Iyer’s chase game
After the match, Manoj Tiwary appreciated how Iyer is becoming a reliable match-winner while chasing, saying that he is getting closer to Virat Kohli’s status of a target-chasing master.
Manoj Tiwary on Cricbuzz said, “The way Sarpanch saab (Shreyas Iyer) is batting right now, especially while chasing, he looks very controlled and safe, and it is a pleasure to see. Even if early wickets fall, having a player like him gives confidence to the rest of the team, as he has already won a few matches on his own. Over the years, Virat Kohli has been known as a chase master, but the way Since Shreyas is chasing with such calmness and calculation these days, the time is not far when his name will be there.” Come in that discussion also.”
Tiwari has told that the right-handed batsman is not letting the captaincy affect his batting. The cricket pundit said, “He has not let the pressure of captaincy affect his batting at all. He is on the same path as Kohli, who has led from the front while winning matches for his team. Wherever Shreyas has captained, he has performed well and has even taken teams to the finals.”
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Manoj Tiwari praised Iyer’s control and selfless approach
The former Indian cricketer also praised Shreyas Iyer’s balance and selfless approach. There is a difference between just attacking and playing with control. And Tiwary said that Shreyas is hitting boundaries whenever he wants, but with complete control, which shows that “he is in the right mindset.”
He said, “This happens because he remains focused, does not get distracted and always puts the team first. He could have batted at number three for personal gain, but he chose to come at number four, understands the match situation, makes the right plan to chase and finish the game. He is playing selfless cricket and always carries the team with him.”
