Shashank Singh breaks silence on denying Shreyas Iyer a ton in GT vs PBKS IPL 2025 clash

The star Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Shashank Singh denied a century to his skipper Shreyas Iyer in the 5th match of the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) on Tuesday, March 25.

The match between the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings and the Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans is currently underway at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Also Read: Watch: Shreyas Iyer misguides Glenn Maxwell on DRS as all-rounder creates IPL record for most ducks

Shreyas Iyer left stranded on 97*

Iyer showcased a batting masterclass on his captaincy debut for Punjab Kings. He batted at the No.3 spot and played an attacking brand of cricket right from the word go.

Iyer smashed the Gujarat Titans bowlers all over the park and completed his half-century off 27 balls. The PBKS skipper was not satisfied with a fifty and he was eyeing a triple mark in the match.

Shreyas Iyer kept punishing the GT bowlers, and at the end of the 19th over, he was unbeaten at 97 runs off 42 balls, with 5 fours and 9 sixes.

It was expected that he would easily complete his century with 6 balls remaining, but that didn't happen, as Shashank Singh didn't give him a strike. Shashank, who was retained by PBKS ahead of the IPL auction, smashed 23 runs in the final over (4, 2, 4, 4, 1w, 4, 4). Iyer couldn't do much and was just clapping while seeing his teammate smash the bowlers.

Notably, Iyer finished with his highest score in IPL and overall 4th highest score in his T20 career. Also, his unbeaten 97 is the third-highest score on a captaincy debut for a franchise in the Indian Premier League, behind Sanju Samson's 119 and Mayank Agarwal's 99*.

Shreyas from ball one told me... - Shashank Singh

Speaking to the broadcasters during the mid-innings break, Shashank Singh said that Iyer told him not to worry about his milestone and play his shots. He stated:

"Thank you so much Ravi Sir. Yes obviously it was a good cameo but looking at the way Shreyas was batting from the dug-out, that motivated me even more.

"Let's be honest. Shreyas from ball one told me, Shashank don't be like I am getting a hundred. Just play your shots well. Kudos to him that he spoke to me before the last over."

I was not thinking much. I was watching the ball closely and reacting to it - Shashank Singh

Shashank Singh, who scored an unbeaten 44 runs off 16 balls, with 6 fours and 2 sixes, further said that he was just reacting to the balls bowled by the GT bowlers as pre-determining at the IPL level is not a good idea. He also spoke about being backed by the Punjab Kings team management.

"I was not thinking much. I was watching the ball closely and reacting to it. In this level, if I pre-determine too much, then I will be behind. It was pretty simple for me. See the ball, hit the ball," Shashank Singh said.

"Obviously the team management has backed me a lot. That has given me a lot of motivation to go out there and play my shots. I think I know my shots. If it's a good ball, I will respect it. I will back my strength and play the shots which I have practiced before."

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings finished with a score of 243/5, which is the biggest total at the Narendra Modi Stadium in the Indian Premier League.

Highest Team Totals at Narendra Modi Stadium in IPL:

243/5 by PBKS vs GT, 2025

233/3 by GT vs MI, 2023

231/3 by GT vs CSK, 2024

Highest team totals for Punjab Kings in IPL:

262/2 vs KKR in Kolkata, 2024

243/5 vs GT in Ahmedabad, 2025

232/2 vs RCB in Dharamsala, 2011

231/4 vs CSK in Cuttack, 2014