Shreyas Iyer scripts history with victory over RR, becomes first-ever IPL captain to achieve this feat

Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer played a gritty cameo of 30 against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday, May 18 as his side recorded a narrow 10-run victory in the scorching heat of Jaipur. This win saw PBKS reach 17 points on the IPL standings and qualify for the playoffs. Alongside them, both Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have also made it to the last four.

Shreyas Iyer has now captained three different teams to IPL playoffs

As PBKS secured a spot in the playoffs with the win at Sawai Mansingh stadium, Shreyas etched his name in history books and became the first-ever IPL captain to lead three different teams to the playoffs. The 30-year-old has previously lead the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) to the IPL playoffs as well.

Shreyas' leadership abilities came into the spotlight in the 2024 season as he captained KKR to their third IPL title. The batter's side dominated throughout the campaign and also went on to decimate Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final, comfortably winning the match by eight wickets. 

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In the match against RR, the Punjab-based franchise put up a massive total of 219/5 following tremendous knocks from Nehal Wadhera (70) and Shashank Singh (59). They ended up defending the big score mainly thanks to a bowling masterclass from spinner Harpreet Brar, who finished his four-over spell with figures of 3/22.

Shreyas was elated with his side's performance and particularly praised Brar for his 'brilliant' approach and attitude. He also hailed the entire team for maintaining a winning mindset.

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