One thing about time is that it always changes. People often say this to comfort those around them, and it certainly applies to Punjab Kings (PBKS) and their captain Shreyas Iyer. From Kolkata to Mullanpur, PBKS hasn’t won an IPL title yet, but they’ve given fans a lot of excitement and some memorable moments in the process.
Last year at Eden Gardens, when Iyer was leading KKR, PBKS stunned everyone by chasing down 262 runs against them, setting the record for the highest run-chase in T20 history. Fast forward a year, Iyer stands at Mullanpur Stadium with coach Ricky Ponting, now leading a determined PBKS team. They managed to defend just 111 runs, which is the lowest total ever in IPL history, showing how much things can turn around.
This win really hit home for PBKS, especially since they had just two wins in their last eight games before that huge chase in Kolkata. Phil Salt and Sunil Narine both made big contributions, and later, Bairstow, Prabhsimran, and Shashank brought a fierce counter-attack that caught KKR off guard. They chased down the record total with eight balls and eight wickets to spare, proving that you can never count a match out until the final ball.
Now, PBKS looks strong with Iyer at the helm, especially after his recent Champions Trophy win with India. He leads a powerful squad with talented players like Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzi Chahal. They’re backed by international stars like Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, all of whom have shown they can make a difference.
On the flip side, KKR has had a mixed season, with three wins and four losses. They seem to struggle, especially after losing their main opening pair, Phil Salt and Sunil Narine. Salt is now with RCB, and Narine’s risky style hasn’t paid off consistently this season. Quinton de Kock hasn’t found form as an opener, and the middle order of Ramandeep, Rinku Singh, and Andre Russell has often let the team down, leaving Iyer and Rahane to pick up the slack.
While KKR’s bowlers like Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy have done well, they haven’t had enough backing from the batters. Earlier today at Mullanpur, Harshit shone with the ball, but the batting fell apart after a poor shot from skipper Rahane left them at 62/3, leading to an embarrassing total of just 95.
Will KKR’s batting issues continue? Will this big win boost PBKS enough to finally clinch their first IPL title? Only time will tell.