Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer has made it clear that while the ultimate goal is to lift the IPL 2026 trophy, the team is firmly focused on living in the present and taking one match at a time. Under the leadership of Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, PBKS have emerged as one of the best teams this season. They are the only unbeaten team so far, having won four of their five matches, with one match lost due to rain.Speaking on JioStar, Iyer emphasized the importance of long-term thinking and consistency.“The mission, obviously, is to lift the trophy. But I always feel that the more you stay in the present, the more you’re in control of what’s in your hands at the moment and you have to go full throttle. You don’t have to think too far ahead or dwell on the past,” Iyer said.
He added that the team is focused on self-improvement rather than external pressure.“I repeat the same thing to my teammates that when we’re out there, we’re playing for ourselves, not against the opposition. We just want to improve every day and make sure we put our best foot forward. When everything comes together and there is this synergy, everything falls into place,” he added. PBKS came close to glory last season but fell short in the IPL 2025 final, losing by six runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The narrow defeat has strengthened their resolve this year.In their most recent stint, Punjab Kings produced a dominant all-round performance against Mumbai Indians. Batting first, MI posted a competitive 195/6, with Quinton de Kock’s unbeaten 112 off 60 balls and a 122-run partnership with Naman Dhir, who scored a quick-fire 50.However, the PBKS bowlers led by Arsdeep Singh kept things under control. The left-arm pacer delivered a match-winning spell of 3/22 in his four overs, earning the Player of the Match award.In reply, PBKS comfortably chased down the target in just 16.3 overs, finishing at 198/3. Prabhasmaran Singh played a brilliant unbeaten 80 off 39 balls, while Iyer played a fluent 66 off 35 balls. The pair formed a vital partnership after the initial setback, ensuring there were no hiccups of late.Despite Allah Ghazanfar taking two wickets for MI, the bowling unit struggled to contain PBKS’ aggressive batting line-up.
