Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer did not come out to field during the second innings of their match against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, May 18, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. He did bat in the first innings, but after that, he stayed off the field and was seen wearing a training bib for the rest of the match while Punjab were bowling.
There were a lot of rumours about Shreyas Iyer’s injury, but the Punjab captain cleared things up himself after the match. During the post-match presentation, Iyer was seen with heavy strapping on the index finger of his right hand. He said he got hurt during practice on Saturday, just a day before the game. Iyer admitted he’s not exactly sure what the injury is and will need to get scans done to know more.
“The reason is the finger over here (pointing at his index finger on his right hand). I don’t know what has happened. Yesterday while practising I got hit, I will have to go and check what the issue is,” Iyer said.
The Punjab captain was spotted talking to his players from the boundary line just as Rajasthan started gaining momentum with the bat. His advice seemed to make a difference, as Punjab tightened their grip in the last three overs and managed to win the match by 10 runs on Sunday.
“I was just passing on the message to all the players to keep a positive body language. You tend to drop and feel the game has gone away from you, but I am proud of every player out there for showing that sort of great and bold approach,” he said.
Harpreet Brar’s Crucial Spell Turns the Tide for Punjab, Says Iyer
Iyer praised Harpreet Brar for his crucial role in Punjab’s win on a hot Sunday afternoon in Jaipur. Brar took the key wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the openers who had earlier given Punjab a tough time during the powerplay. His timely breakthrough helped Punjab turn the game around, and they finished things off confidently in the last three overs.
“He has been consistent in the nets. He wants to do the best for himself, he was hungry for this opportunity and today I feel he stepped in and delivered at his best. Congratulations to him — his mindset has been tremendous throughout. Absolutely brilliant approach and attitude coming in after the break. The boys were in high spirits and we also needed a rest. Going forward in the tournament, it was the right time for us to come together and show the kind of mindset needed to win irrespective of the situation,” Iyer said.
“Going forward, we saw that the spinners were difficult to take charge of — we hardly got runs off their spinners — and that’s one learning. Apart from that, we can change the game from any situation,” he concluded.
PBKS (Punjab Kings) qualification scenarios after the RR vs PBKS Match:
| Scenario | Qualification Status |
|---|---|
| Win 2 out of 2 | Top 2 possible |
| Win 1 out of 2 | Qualified |
| Lose both matches | Might depend on NRR & others |
