‘It’s set a nice example for everyone’: Aakash Chopra lauds PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer for selfless batting vs GT | Ipl News

Former Indian cricketer and commentator, Aakash Chopra has lauded Punjab Kings’s captain Shreyas Iyer for his selfless batting and for not caring for his personal milestone, putting the team’s needs ahead of him. PBKS started their Indian Premier League 2025 campaign with a thrilling 11-run win over Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday where skipper Iyer led from the front with his flamboyant unbeaten 97 in just 42 deliveries.
Iyer was poised to score his maiden IPL century when he reached 97 the end of the 19th over but missed out on getting over the milestone after Shashank Singh played all six deliveries of the 20th over. Shashank scored five boundaries, taking 23 off the last over bowled Mohammed Siraj which helped Punjab post a mammoth 243/5.
“Iyer was only one hit away from his first IPL century. Didn’t get the strike thereafter. Didn’t ask for it either. And it’s set a nice example for everyone,” Chopra posted on X after the match. “T20 cricket is all about maximising every ball…whoever is hitting, keeps hitting. No personal milestones are bigger than a few extra Team runs. Let’s not forget that we have seen people denying runs to farm the strike in the last overs when a milestone is within touching dance,” the post read.

Iyer was only one hit away from his first IPL century. Didn’t get the strike thereafter. Didn’t ask for it either. And it’s set a nice example for everyone.T20 cricket is all about maximising every ball…whoever is hitting, keeps hitting. No personal milestones are bigger than…
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 26, 2025
Quote tweeting a user, who wrote that ‘Iyer should make a hundred,’ Chopra wrote,” He will brother. Too good a player, Shreyas. Cricket’s obsession with milestones is a hindrance in T20 cricket.”

Iyer missed out on a hundred against the GT in what was his debut match as PBKS captain in the team’s opening game of the IPL 2025 season.“Let me be very honest: Shreyas, from ball one, said don’t worry about my hundred! Obviously, I was going to say to him, ‘should I give you a single or something?’” said Shashank after the match. The finisher shone with the bat, scoring 44 in just 16 deliveries. “It takes a lot of heart and courage to say this because obviously hundreds don’t come easily in T20, especially in the IPL,” he added.