Iyer missed his maiden IPL century but ensured PBKS kicked off their season with a win ©BCCI/IPL They might well be Tom Brady and Malcolm Butler of Punjab Kings. Shreyas Iyer and Priyansh Arya are as contrasting as the two American football stars – one a seasoned campaigner, the other an aspiring upstart – who delivered when it mattered most for the Patriots in 2015 Super Bowl. Similarly, Iyer and Arya rose to the occasion for Punjab Kings – albeit in a season opener – but with an impact just as telling. There was a third star in that famous game for the Patriots – Julian Edelman – and Punjab Kings had their own in Vijaykumar Vyshak, who stepped up at a crucial moment to turn the match on its head against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night. Everyone played their part for the Punjab side, but Iyer, Arya, and Vyshak were the standout stars of the PBKS win. Not much was known about Arya, who made his IPL debut on Tuesday, but coach Ricky Ponting had high hopes from the 24-year-old left-handed Delhi batter even before the league began. “Priyansh Arya, I think, is a very special potential opening batsman for us going forward in the tournament. Depending on which way we go with our overseas make-up, he’s very exciting,” the PBKS coach had said days ago. Arya repaid his coach’s trust with a performance that justified the build-up around him. Scarcely did he look like a player making his debut on such a competitive stage. There were no signs of nerves or anxiety and he took on battle-hardened veterans like Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj with extreme confidence. Fearless could be the apt word to describe him – he attacked the bowlers from the outset, fully justifying the INR 3.8 crore investment the franchise has made in him. An alluring prospect indeed. Two back-to-back boundaries off Mohammed Siraj in the very first over and he was off the blocks, and he showcased his stroke play on both sides of the wicket. There was sound technique, evident in a delightful straight drive; there was elegance, seen in his wristy flicks through square leg – more skill than power; and there was discipline, reflected in his facile 23-ball knock. Ravi Shastri rightly described them as ‘glorious and quality shots.’ A score of 47 off 23 deliveries may not exactly be box office stuff but he surely announced his arrival on the big stage. A little too early to draw an inference on him but from the looks of it, he appears a potential contender for the emerging player of the season. “I think for a guy to play like this on his debut game was very good. I think he played really well,” said GT’s Sai Kishore. “I mean it’s very difficult for a debutant to come and play like this,” added Shashank Singh of PBKS. “He’s extremely fearless. Someone who knows his game really well and someone who is technically very correct.The way he batted, I mean it’s not that easy for any debutant to play that way. But obviously the way he performed today he showed what talent he has.” During his impressive 47, he was involved in a 51-run partnership for the second wicket with Iyer that set the platform for other batters to raise a formidable total of 243 for five. Iyer rides high, post CT Iyer, in contrast, was a blend of a Ferrari and a Rolls-Royce – a heady mix of speed and smooth. Riding on the momentum of his Champions Trophy success, the PBKS skipper displayed exceptional sense of timing, confidence, and self-belief. His innings was a masterclass in stroke-making, marked by power, placements, and precision. In the end, his blistering, fiery, and unbeaten knock was the tour de force that powered Punjab Kings to victory on the night. He kicked off with a boundary off Kagiso Rabada and never looked back after that. Six after six, Iyer was pounding maximums at will. Ian Bishop, on air, would say, ‘He’s smashing sixes for fun.’ The Champions Trophy success, where he was one of the stars of India’s triumph, has clearly, visibly, and unmistakably fuelled his confidence. At no point did he seem like he would be outdone by the opposition bowling. His 97 off 42 deliveries, including five boundaries, felt like a joyride in a theme park. The runs flowed all around the ground – three through third man, seven through fine leg, 11 through point, 14 through covers, 18 in the square leg region, 21 at long-on, and 19 through mid-wicket. But the most striking aspect of his innings yet was his selflessness. A tough-as-nails batter, Iyer found himself on 97, with a chance to record his maiden IPL century in the final over. Instead of chasing personal glory, he urged his partner to go his shots, prioritizing the team’s interest over his milestone. Shashank responded in style, hammering 22 runs off the final over (4, 2, 4, 4, wd, 4, 4 – 23 in total), a contribution that proved crucial in the final outcome. Punjab Kings won by 11 runs, the 81-run unbeaten sixth wicket association between Iyer and Shashank standing out as the undisputed tour de force of the night. Vyshak leaves an instant impact Vyshak was brought in as an impact player, and he left an impact instantly. Tasked with bowling the 15th and 17th overs, he stymied Gujarat Titans’ charge, at a time when Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford were on a rampage against the Punjab bowlers. In those three overs – including one by Marco Jansen – only 18 runs were conceded (at just six runs per over) at a time when the required run rate was more than double. The right-arm pacer from Karnataka conceded just 10 runs in his first two overs with a well-thought out strategy of wide yorkers. His decision to go wide – even at the risk of a few extras – caught the Gujarat Titans off guard. “I think we were also surprised to be honest (by Vyshak’s approach),” Sai Kishore later admitted. “We thought we were on course. We were ahead of the game. We thought so. To be honest, Vyshak bowled brilliantly. “All credits to Vyshak for the way he executed those yorkers. To be fair, it’s very easy for me to say but I think we could have tried to hit more boundaries than just looking for sixes.” Vyshak went for 18 runs in his third over (19th) but at that stage, the asking rate was 22.5. The Titans needed 28 runs in the final over and it was not an easy proposition as the much-discussed duo of Iyer and Ponting managed to extract the best out of the Punjab Kings players. ShareTweet
