New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Following a demanding victory against Rajasthan Royals last night, skipper Shreyas Iyer took a moment in the dressing room to acknowledge the collective effort and unwavering team spirit.

On Sunday, Iyer became the first player in the tournament’s 18-year history to captain three different teams to playoffs qualification after having done the same at Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders before ending the Punjab franchise’s 11-year drought from the playoffs.

Lauding the players for standing together in all circumstances and helping even when they didn’t get an opportunity, Iyer said, “Guys, we all know how difficult it is not to get an opportunity. And we clearly mentioned at the start how tough it was going to be out there with the heat. The guys who sat outside and didn’t get to play still went out and helped everyone. This shows their hunger for the team. Ricky mentioned caring, and today I saw that caring for each and every one.”

Nehal Wadhera’s 70 coupled with Harpreet Brar’s 3-22 helped Punjab Kings to edge out Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs in a high-scoring IPL 2025 clash at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday. With Gujarat Titans getting the job done against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, PBKS, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and GT also secured instant qualification.

Iyer also extended his best wishes to everyone as the team qualified for the playoffs after 11 years and said, “Congratulations, and a special mention to each and every individual sitting here. I appreciate your efforts. Please ensure that we carry forward the same momentum and intensity into the future games as well.”

Punjab Kings will next face off against Delhi Capitals on May 24 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.

–IANS

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