&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Iyer wanted to be one who made the difference': PBKS coach hails skipper after win over LSG")
After Punjab Kings’ crucial seven-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants, assistant coach Brad Haddin praised captain Shreyas Iyer for stepping up when the team needed him most. The result keeps Punjab playoff hopes alive and puts them in a strong position heading into the final phase of the tournament. The win was built on a strong all-round effort, as Marco Jansen and Yuzvendra Chahal claimed two wickets apiece to keep LSG to 196/6, despite a fighting 72 off 44 balls from Josh Inglis.
Chasing the target, Prabhsimran Singh provided early momentum with a fluent 69 from just 39 deliveries before captain Shreyas Iyer took complete control and smashed an unbeaten 101 off 51 balls, his first IPL hundred, as Punjab sealed the chase comfortably before the 19th over.
Speaking after the match, Haddin said Iyer looked determined to take responsibility in a high-pressure encounter.
“In these matches, you want your best players to stand up. These are the matches where everything is on the line. For the last couple of days, the captain had that look in his eye. He wanted to be the one who made the difference and turned things around, and he gave us an opportunity to play in the finals. You got a long way to see a better inning and a better captain's knock than that,” Haddin said.
He further added, "He wanted to be the one to make the difference, and that is what you want from your leaders, whether it's for IPL or for your country. You want your leaders owning those big moments, and that is what he did."
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Haddin also applauded the team’s overall effort, pointing out that the bowlers created early pressure by striking in the powerplay. He singled out Azmatullah Omarzai for his contribution with the ball and praised both Prabhsimran and Iyer for steering the chase confidently.
"If you have a look through the whole game, we did well to get wickets to start. It is important to get wickets up front in power play. I thought our bowlers did a really good job there. Azmatullah did a really good job. And then Prabh and the captain with the bat were outstanding. Prabh took a smart stumping. As an ex-keeper, I was proud of him there, but he set up the inning beautifully," the assistant coach noted.
With this final league stage victory, Punjab Kings have climbed to the fourth spot on the points table with 15 points, with their playoff qualification now hinging entirely on the final league clash between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians.
With inputs from agencies
