Shreyas Iyer hits maiden IPL century

Shreyas Iyer gave Punjab Kings the one thing they had run out of late in the league stage: a clean chase under pressure. On May 23 in Lucknow, the Punjab captain made 101 not out off 51 balls as PBKS beat Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets, chasing 197 with 12 balls to spare. (iplt20.com) The win ended Punjab’s six-match losing streak and kept the team alive in the race for the last playoff places. Star Sports posted highlights of the innings on May 24, underscoring how central it was to Punjab’s late push. (sportstar.thehindu.com) ### How big was the innings in match terms? Punjab’s chase was in trouble at 22 for two before Iyer took over. Sportstar reported that he then added 140 runs in 76 balls with Prabhsimran Singh, who made 69 off 39, and stayed through the finish, reaching his hundred with a six. (espncricinfo.com) ESPNcricinfo’s scorecard shows Punjab closed on 200 for three in 18 overs after Lucknow made 196 for six. Josh Inglis had given Lucknow a defendable total with 72, while Ayush Badoni made 43 off 18. ESPNcricinfo reported that Yuzvendra Chahal’s two wickets and Marco Jansen’s two helped Punjab recover after conceding 16 in the first over. (iplt20.com) ### Why did this century stand out for Iyer? This was Iyer’s first IPL hundred after previous unbeaten highs of 97 for Punjab and 96 and 93 for Delhi Capitals, according to Sportstar. During the innings, ANI reported, he also crossed 7,000 runs in T20 cricket. Iyer said after the match that the timing mattered as much as the milestone. “Ecstatic, first hundred of the season, we won eventually after six consecutive losses,” he said, according to ANI. (sportstar.thehindu.com) He added that he wanted to give himself time at the crease and stay in for as long as possible in a high-pressure chase. (espncricinfo.com) ### What did the knock say about Punjab’s chase plan? Prabhsimran Singh’s 69 gave Punjab early speed after the top-order wobble, but Iyer controlled the chase by batting through. The official IPL match report said he and Prabhsimran “executed the chase flawlessly” at the Ekana Stadium as Punjab crossed the target with two overs left. (sportstar.thehindu.com) Iyer also described a simplified approach inside the dressing room. ANI quoted him as saying Punjab avoided overloading players before the game and preferred a “free flow of mind” in a crucial match. He said he told coach Ricky Ponting the team did not need a meeting before the must-win fixture. (sports.ndtv.com) ### What changed in the playoff race after the win? Punjab moved into the top four with 15 points after the victory, according to ANI and Sportstar. ESPNcricinfo reported that the result left Punjab dependent on results elsewhere: Rajasthan Royals had to lose their final league game against Mumbai Indians, and Kolkata Knight Riders also remained in contention depending on their margin against Delhi Capitals. (iplt20.com) The next steps were outside Punjab’s control. ESPNcricinfo and Sportstar both said Punjab had completed its league program, leaving Rajasthan, Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi to decide whether Iyer’s hundred would become a playoff-saving innings or only a late-season rescue act. (sports.ndtv.com) (espncricinfo.com)