Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer revealed the game plan behind Shashank Singh’s magical spell against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL 2026 fixture. The bowling spell was key as PBKS sealed a six-wicket win. SRH’s swashbuckling opening pair, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, were taking on PBKS bowlers with ease, reaching 105/0 in just six overs. Abhishek was at 66 off 22 balls and Head at 31 off 15 deliveries. Iyer needed a trump card, and in came Shashank Singh for the seventh over. It turned out to be the right decision, as it broke Head, Abhishek’s momentum, and Shashank conceded only six runs.
Then Shashank turned up again to bowl the ninth over with SRH at 120/0. He began the over with a slow delivery, on short length, attacking the stumps. Head tried to go early and ended up mistiming his shot as it went straight down to long-on for a catch. The Aussie opener departed for 38 off 23 balls, a knock that included five fours and a maximum.
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In the third delivery, Shashank struck again, removing Abhishek for 74 off 28 balls, packed with five fours and eight sixes. Receiving a length delivery, wide of off, Abhishek tried to cream it over extra cover for a six, but didn’t get enough power. The ball instead went to deep extra cover for a catch.
Shreyas Iyer reveals chat with Shashank Singh and Ricky Ponting
Speaking on JioStar, Iyer said, “After six overs, I straightaway asked for a timeout. Shashank Singh was running around at that time. You have to respect the attitude and characteristics he possesses, because when all the bowlers are being taken for runs, he comes to me directly and asks for an over, ‘Give me an over, I think I can do something here.’”
Recalling his chat with PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting, he added, “I didn’t respond to him at that time. Ricky came, started talking and asked who I was going to bowl next, and I said, ‘I think I am going to go with Shashank.’ Ricky said, ‘You take your call, that’s fine.’ The way he bowled his first over, he gave just five or six runs, even though he didn’t get a wicket. But, in the second over, he took two back-to-back wickets and the whole scenario changed.”
SRH eventually posted 219/6 in 20 overs. Chasing 220 runs, PBKS reached 223/4 in 18.5 overs, courtesy of half-centuries from Iyer (69*), Priyansh Arya (57) and Prabhsimran Singh (51).
