Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings continued their strong start in IPL 2026 with a five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings, thanks to a captain’s knock from Shreyas Iyer and a solid team effort. Chasing a big target of 210, PBKS stayed calm under pressure and got over the line with eight balls to spare, handing CSK their second straight loss.CSK had earlier posted 209/5 after being put in to bat. Young Ayush Mhatre led the charge with an impressive 73, while Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube added quick runs towards the end to push the total past 200.
A key partnership between Mhatre and Ruturaj Gaikwad helped build the innings, though PBKS pulled things back with timely wickets.In reply, Punjab got off to a flying start with Priyansh Arya smashing 39 off just 11 balls. Prabhsimran Singh and Cooper Connolly chipped in with useful contributions, keeping the chase on track. When pressure built, skipper Shreyas Iyer stepped up, scoring a composed half-century and controlling the game with smart shot selection. Later, Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis finished the job comfortably.
‘Playing to impress each other’
After the match, Iyer revealed the team’s mindset, adding, “Well, it’s not planned, honestly speaking, but we’ve just decided in the dressing room that whatever happens, we are going to play a brand of cricket which is to impress each other, not others outside.”He praised the strong start, saying, “Priyansh and Prab doing the job at the start… it’s phenomenal to see them giving us that start and it stabilizes the rhythm for us.”On Arya’s explosive innings, he added, “Absolutely. I mean, getting 39 out of 11 balls, that’s the start we require, especially when you’re chasing 208.”Explaining his bowling choices, Iyer said, “And usually we know how impressive he is over the years. And he’s probably one of the best bowlers in the IPL so far. So whenever I’m in doubt, I do that.”Punjab’s clear mindset and teamwork have now put them at the top of the table.
