Shreyas Iyer kept it disarmingly simple after Punjab Kings pulled off one of the biggest chases in T20 history.
After Punjab were chasing 265 against Delhi Capitals with seven balls to spare and six wickets to spare at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday, Iyer revealed that the message in the dressing room was built around one clear idea: score just one more than the opposition.
DC vs PBKS, IPL 2026: Update | Scorecard
That clarity defined Punjab’s approach to the chase as they shrugged off KL Rahul’s historic unbeaten 152 and with surprising ease pulled off the most successful chase in IPL history.
DC vs PBKS: ONE SIMPLE MESSAGE
Punjab Kings just watched as KL Rahul produced a breathtaking unbeaten 152, the highest score by an Indian in IPL history, while Nitish Rana’s 91 helped Delhi pile up a daunting 264 for 2. But even after being dismantled in the afternoon heat, Iyer said there was no panic in the Punjab dressing room.
Instead, the captain kept the message as uncomplicated as possible.
“I just thought in my mind that whatever they get from here, I think we have to score one more goal and make sure we win. And that was our mindset, nothing more, frankly, because whatever balls the bowlers bowled at that particular time, I think he improvised and played some beautiful shots,” Shreyas Iyer said at the post-match presentation.
“So it didn’t seem like he was really trying. I just thought, if they can do it, we can do it,” he said.
It was a telling look at Iyer’s leadership. There was no dramatic reset, no grand tactical sermon, just a calm reminder that the equation is simple and the goal, however massive, is still just a number.
DC vs PBKS: PROVIDED THEIR TEMPLATE
Iyer revealed that Punjab’s confidence came from what they had already done earlier in the season. Having previously chased more than 220 targets, the dressing room believed there was no need to change the plan. The only modification was to be bolder from the start.
“We discussed that in the previous matches we were chasing around 220-225 with two overs. So the mind-set was very similar. Get as many runs as possible in the over and they went crazy from the first ball and steadied the ship for us. And the rest of us wanted to capitalize early on.”
That beginning came in devastating fashion. Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya burst into Delhi’s attack and added 126 in just 6.5 overs, effectively breaking the back of the chase before the middle order even arrived. Their attack gave Punjab the platform and Iyer did the rest, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 71 off 36 balls.
While Punjab’s batsmen stole the show, Iyer admitted his side had plenty of room for improvement after a bruising day in the field. But rather than dwell on the punishment his bowlers suffered, the skipper emphasized recovery, composure and perspective after another grueling outing in Delhi.
“Right now we want to have as much fun as possible and rest because we’ve had three days of hard work, training in the heat and playing in the heat. So, you know, rest a little bit and then the day after that we’ll rejuvenate and probably go back to the drawing board to see how we can come back stronger and plan successfully for the opponents we play in the future.”
He was the old Iyer, clear-headed, measured and unruffled. In a night full of chaos, the Punjab captain thought simple and the chase even simpler.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
25 Apr 2026 22:54 IST
