Lucknow, May 23 (IANS) Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer said his maiden IPL hundred ‘came at the right time when the team needed it,’ as his unbeaten 101 guided the side to a seven‑wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants and kept their IPL 2026 playoffs hopes alive after six successive defeats.

“I’m ecstatic to be honest. It’s my first hundred and came at the right time when the team needed it. We won eventually after six consecutive losses. It’s a great positive and just hoping to support MI tomorrow,” Iyer said after being named Player of the Match.

The win has lifted PBKS to fourth on the points table, and their fate now hinges on the Rajasthan Royals’ clash with the Mumbai Indians. If RR win, Punjab are out; if MI prevail, Kolkata Knight Riders could still overtake PBKS on net run rate with a big win over the now eliminated Delhi Capitals.

If all works well in their favour, PBKS will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator clash in New Chandigarh on Wednesday. On his batting approach, Iyer, who became the third PBKS captain to hit a century after KL Rahul and Adam Gilchrist, said, “It’s a surreal feeling when you finish off the game and score a century. All the batsmen dream of that.

“Today was one of the days when I felt super. I was in a great mindspace. I knew what I wanted, knew how the wicket was playing. Kinda reading the situation and how the wicket was playing helped me to score my runs, and the partnership was crucial. That creates the momentum in the game, and just to win it from there, I’m elated.”

On sharing a 140-run stand with Prabhsimran Singh, who made 69, Iyer said, “I know if I give myself some time in the middle and time the ball as much as possible rather than getting on top of the ball and trying to score off a good ball. I feel it’s necessary for me to stay out there as much as possible because then the runs keep coming.

“Prabh – the way he took on the bowlers, it takes two to tango. He seriously showed us what he’s capable of. He was temperamentally active, and the communication we had in the middle was sensational.”

On how PBKS regrouped ahead of this clash to break a losing streak, Iyer said, “We didn’t say anything, just kept it simple. Rather than having meetings, putting more pressure on the boys. You kinda get lost in the previous losses when you discuss a lot. It’s important that you let them be. Free flow of mind is required in crucial matches.

“You don’t want to make them overthink in pressure situations. Today I literally told Ricky, ‘let’s not do any team meetings. Let’s just head to the ground and do our rituals, which we’ve been doing consistently, and we could see the result.”

Iyer then praised his bowlers for pulling the game back. “Elated by their performance. Even though we went 16 off the first over. Just to get the game back towards us, Azmat bowled brilliantly. The first over, which he bowled, got a wicket and saved those crucial runs.

“It’s all about momentum in this situation, and just to get the game back, especially Yuzi, the way he came back and restricted runs. He got the crucial wicket of Rishabh Pant. Kudos to him; he leaked a lot of runs in the last game, but he showed his character.”

Coach Ricky Ponting lauded his captain’s maturity. “We’ve done it the hard way, let’s put it that way. We’ve done what we needed to do today. Sloppy in the field again, gave them 20 more runs than they should’ve got. Pretty clinical chase, especially being in trouble early. The captain he’s done that all season. That’s his first IPL century tonight.

“We’ll celebrate that, and then we’ll sit around and wait for those results tomorrow. There’s a reason I spent as much money at the auction as I did a couple of years ago. He’s a ripping guy, a very mature player now, and a very mature leader. More often than not, he keeps his emotions in check on the field. The respect he has from his players is second to none.

“The moment he stands in front of the group and speaks, not a single eye ball leaves a single word he says. Delighted to work with him. Really happy with the season he’s had. Great to see him back in the Indian one-day team.

“I really think there’s a bigger, brighter future for him in the Indian T20 team as well. The level of cricket we played in the first half was a level I’ve never seen before. And then we just made some crucial errors at different times in the last six games.”

Speaking about Prabhsimran, Ponting said, “A terrific player. It’s probably only been the last couple of years that he has realised how good he is. He and Priyansh have been outstanding for us the last couple of seasons. Seeing him play a mature innings tonight in a good run chase will do him a world of good. We’ll try to get the boys together and watch it (the RR-MI game).”

LSG skipper Rishabh Pant admitted it was a tough season, as it’s now confirmed that they will finish at the bottom of the points table. “Initial thoughts are – it’s a tough one. Still have to bite the bullet regardless of everything. Always you can get 5-10 more, but I think there was enough for the total.

“But at the same time, you know batting gets easier in the second innings at Ekana. Sometimes, ideas without accountability are the hardest thing to do. As a team, we want to look at the positives… Definitely a lot of positives. It’s been a long season, we promise to come back stronger next year.”

–IANS

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