Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer was subbed off at innings break during the IPL 2025 match against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. Shreyas, who was suffering from a finger injury, was subbed off after scoring 30 off 25 deliveries, did not field at all during PBKS’ bowling. While Shreyas was not on the field, that did not stop the Indian cricket team batter from getting involved. During the match, he was seen having a conversation with fielders at the boundary line and even helping stand-in skipper Shashank Singh with the field set-up. PBKS ended up winning the encounter by 10 runs.
Shreyas Iyer is giving regular inputs to the players from boundary rope
– Injured but giving everything for his team.
This is shreyas Iyer for youpic.twitter.com/42WhHE5fDi
— (@anurandey_7) May 18, 2025
Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar bowled a match-turning spell after Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh made bruising fifties as Punjab Kings edged closer to an IPL playoff berth with a 10-run win over Rajasthan Royals here on Sunday.
Like this tweet if you love Leader Shreyas Iyer. pic.twitter.com/bxABwi5x5Z
— • (@huserlame) May 18, 2025
Brar, who came in as a substitute for skipper Shreyas Iyer — possibly unwell due to extreme heat — was introduced in the fifth over and the left-arm spinner walked away with an impressive 3/22 in four overs, helping PBKS to restrict RR to 209/7 in the chase of 220.
The Punjab side had earlier made 219 for five riding on an unbeaten on 59 off 30 deliveries (5×4, 3×6) by Shashank and Wadhera (70, 37b, 5×4, 5×6).
With this win, PBKS (NRR: +0.38) climbed to 17 points and they are second on the table behind leaders Royal Challengers Bengaluru (17 points, +0.48) on net run rate difference.
The Ricky Ponting-coached side needs just one more point to secure a playoff berth for the first time since 2014.
Brar, who mixed up his angles, trajectory, and pace with precision, played a big part in that.
His scalps included the 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi (40 off 15; 4×4, 4×6) and Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had launched a brutal assault up front with his (50 off 24).
Together they flew off the blocks with a stand off 76 runs in just 4.1 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai (2/44) then landed a double blow, sending back skipper Sanju Samson (20 off 16) and Shimron Hetmyer (11 off 12), as RR’s chase lost steam.
Dhruv Jurel (53 off 31 balls; 3×4, 4×6) hit form to score his second fifty of the season but it went in vain as Marco Jansen (2/41 in three overs) removed him and Wanindu Hasaranga in successive balls in the last over to end their chase.
(With PTI inputs)
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