Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer scored one of the best innings of IPL 2026, smashing his first IPL century in a high pressure against Lucknow Supergiants at Ekna Cricket Stadium. Faced with a do-or-die situation in the play-off race, Iyer rose to the occasion with an unbeaten 101, leading PBKS to an emphatic seven-wicket victory and keeping their qualification hopes alive.The PBKS captain completed his century with a brilliant six as Punjab comfortably chased down 196 and moved into the top four of the points table heading into the final round of league matches.Batting first, LSG posted 196/6 in 20 overs, helped by Josh Inglis’ 72 off 44 balls. However, the hosts lost momentum during the middle overs as the PBKS bowlers tightened the scoring rate and took regular wickets.Punjab’s chase got off to a rocky start with early wickets, but Iyer under pressure carried the innings brilliantly. Along with Prabhasmaran Singh, he put together a formidable partnership of 140 runs which completely shifted the momentum in favor of PBKS. The win not only ended Punjab’s six-match losing streak but also marked a historic moment for Iyer.The PBKS skipper became only the third captain in franchise history to score a century in IPL:
- KL Rahul – 132* vs RCB (2020)
- Adam Gilchrist – 106 vs RCB (2011)
- Shreyas Iyer – 101* vs LSG (2026)
Iyer also entered the elite IPL captaincy record list by becoming only the fourth captain in the history of the tournament to score a century while chasing a target.Captains’ centuries in pursuit of IPL
- 119 – Virender Sehwag vs Deccan Chargers (2011)
- 108* – Virat Kohli vs Rising Pune Supergiant (2016)
- 119 – Sanju Samson vs PBKS (2021)
- 101* – Shreyas Iyer vs LSG (2026)
Punjab’s chance for playoffs
Punjab Kings (PBKS) are currently fourth on the IPL 2026 points table with 15 points from 14 games, but their playoff qualification is completely out of their hands. If RR wins this afternoon’s game against MI, they will reach 16 points and automatically move up to the 4th position, instantly eliminating Punjab. If RRMI lose to Punjab, they look forward to the evening match. If DC beats KKR, KKR gets stuck on 13 points and DC reaches only 14 points. With Punjab having 15 points, they qualify safely.
