"Worth every rupee of the ₹26.75 crores" - Fans laud Shreyas Iyer's selfless 97*-run knock in GT vs PBKS clash of IPL 2025

Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer kicked off his stint with an authoritative knock in their IPL 2025 opening match against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, March 25. After being asked to bat first, the PBKS skipper stole the show with his blistering batting exploits.

Iyer dominated the GT bowlers with his hitting, striking nine sixes and five fours. He remained unbeaten on 97 off just 42 deliveries, finishing with a stunning strike rate of 230.95.

Interestingly, Iyer had a significant chance of crossing the 100-run mark, as he was at 97* before the final over. Shashank Singh was on strike for the 20th over. Despite being so close to the milestone, the PBKS captain didn't look for a single and instead let his partner go for big shots. He didn't face a single ball in the last over.

Several fans were impressed with Iyer's knock, especially his selfless approach. Here are some of the top reactions on X:

"Shreyas iyer sacrificed his well deserved century and doesn't even care.. Definition of selfless," wrote a fan.

"What a selfless guy Shreyas Iyer is . He didn't ask for single in last overs to achieve Personal Milestones . He was running 2s & coming back to non-strikers end when he was at 97. Well Played Captain," posted a fan.

"Some 97s are better than 100s.The real Definition of Selflessness Put his team Ahead of his personal Achievement He'll somehow get that deserving 100 in any other match this season! Shreyas Iyer - The Leader," chimed in yet another.

"Shreyas Iyer...where leadership meets selflessness. 97*and still put the team first. That’s a captain in every sense," chimed in yet another.

"Shreyas Iyer looks worth every rupee of the ₹26.75 crores," remarked a fan.

"Shreyas Iyer plays for my franchise It's an honour, arrogance, privilege and flex," wrote a fan.

Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a title victory in IPL 2024. He parted ways with the franchise following the successful season and was signed by PBKS at ₹26.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction.

PBKS registered 243/5 in 20 overs in their opening match of the season against GT. Apart from Iyer's heroics, Shashank Singh (44* off 16) and Priyansh Arya (47 off 23) also delivered impactful knocks.

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"Just finish it well" - Shashank Singh reveals Shreyas Iyer's message ahead of the 20th over of the PBKS innings

In the mid-inning interview, Shashank revealed that Iyer told him not to worry about the century and just look to score freely in the final over. He praised the PBKS captain for the approach.

Shashank said:

"It was a good cameo, looking at Shreyas from the dugout the way he was batting, that motivated me even more. Let me be very honest, Shreyas from ball one told me, 'Shashank, don't believe that I'll get a hundred, just finish it well'. Kudos to him the way he spoke to me in the beginning of the over. I was just watching the ball and reacting to it."

Iyer and Shashank went berserk in the death over. The two stitched together a brilliant 81*-run partnership in just 28 balls, powering Punjab to a mammoth total.