Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer looked in great rhythm during a net session ahead of IPL 2026, smashing a series of big hits as the tournament is set to begin this Saturday, March 28. PBKS will open their campaign with a home clash against Gujarat Titans on Tuesday, March 31.
As preparations ramped up, the franchise shared a clip on X on March 24, highlighting their skipper’s powerful strokeplay in the nets, where he sent several balls soaring. Watch the video here:
𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐚𝐚𝐛 in nets! 💥 pic.twitter.com/aAwx6DUvAU
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) March 23, 2026
Shreyas Iyer will look to carry forward the momentum from his impressive debut season with Punjab Kings in 2025, where he led the side to the final. He ended the campaign as the team’s top scorer, piling up 604 runs in 17 matches at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07.
The right-hander notched up six half-centuries, with a highest score of an unbeaten 97, and struck 39 sixes—second only to Nicholas Pooran, who topped the list with 40.
“Shreyas Iyer Will Score Big Runs” – Former PBKS Skipper
Former Punjab Kings captain and India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that Shreyas Iyer will need to take on the primary run-scoring role for the team in the upcoming season, a challenge he believes the right-hander is well-equipped to handle.
Speaking on his YouTube channel on Monday, March 23, Ashwin said:
“But the kind of form Shreyas is in will definitely dictate what happens to Punjab Kings in the early part of the tournament. However, they do have quality in the squad. Shreyas Iyer needs to score a bulk of runs, which I think he will. I don’t have even the slightest doubt in my mind that Shreyas will find his mojo.”
Iyer has featured in 133 IPL games, amassing 3,731 runs at an average of 34.22 and a strike rate of 133.34, with 27 half-centuries to his credit.
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