IPL 2026 – Shreyas Iyer and the art of scoring runs under pressure

Time always seems to fly. As yours truly pens down those words, we are already into the fifth month of 2026. Once again it feels as if the clock chugs along akin to a non-stop train. But even if the 1990s decade has turned into 2000s, 2010s and 2020s, certain things seem to remain the same. One of them has to be Shreyas Iyer’s deep reservoirs of mental strength. And that was on full display when Punjab Kings took on Lucknow Super Giants in a must-win IPL game in Lucknow. umafrika.club

At 22 for 2, in a chase of 197, PBKS desperately needed a partnership of substance. Shreyas and Prabhsimran Singh didn’t just prop up the innings but also shared a game-breaking alliance as PBKS registered a win of significance. It was a significant victory as PBKS had lost six in a row after a bright start. And if PBKS had lost the aforesaid game, they would have bowed out of the tournament.

Moreover, it was an important innings from Iyer’s point of view too. He had been dismissed in a similar fashion over a couple of games, and doubts were raised over his method against the new ball. On the given day, he essayed four boundaries over two overs while facing Mohsin Khan and Mohammed Shami in the Powerplay overs to showcase that he is in good nick.

Perhaps he also made a small tweak to his batting manual. In some of his previous matches, Shreyas’ back foot was positioned outside the leg-stump or leg lined. In the LSG-PBKS encounter, it was more around the middle-stump, helping his front foot move towards the pitch of the ball and negate any kind of movement upfront.

Shreyas also targeted the right kind of bowlers as he took a toll off an out-of-form Digvesh Rathi. By the time Prabhsimran was dislodged, PBKS were in cruise mode.

The PBKS’ captain’s maiden IPL hundred also transported this correspondent back to an era when Shreyas was just another of those budding cricketers. Even then he had the resilience to soak up the pressure. In only his third Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai, he was up against a fine Uttar Pradesh attack comprising Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra (seam bowler), Ankit Rajpoot and Piyush Chawla.

At a particular juncture of the innings, Mumbai were in dire straits at 57 for 6. Shreyas, batting at No. 7, however, accrued a splendid 75 and Mumbai won the match by eight wickets. During that season, Mumbai were also grappling with the No. 3 slot. Shreyas took up the gauntlet of batting at that position and composed a 153 versus Bengal.

With Shreyas, it is never about how he scores his runs. It is about when he scores those runs. It was a hallmark of his batting during his debut Ranji season. And in present times that trait of his helped PBKS to survive in the competition for at least one more day.

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Yuzvendra Chahal, the experienced spinner from the Punjab Kings team, backed Mumbai Indians legend Rohit Sharma to score a double century as he foresees his team's entry into the IPL 2026 playoffs.

The Punjab Kings played a fine knock, with their skipper leading from the front with his maiden IPL hundred. This was another major win for the Punjab Kings, breaking their six-match losing streak after an undefeated start to the season.

However, just at the brink of the playoffs, the Kings managed to put on a masterclass performance in all three departments. Fielding efforts from the Kings' fielders had seen a major dip before this game, but they did not miss out on chances during this game.

Yuzvendra Chahal's ultimatum to Rohit Sharma ahead of MI vs RR clash

After the Kings manage to win the game, they will have to depend on other match results to qualify for the playoffs. Though currently seated in the fourth position in the points table, they are threatened by the Rajasthan Royals, who are yet to play their final game this season.

Chahal is an honest verdict; he wished to see Rohit Sharma put on another masterclass at the Wankhede, and in a hypothetical statement, he wished that the legendary opener scores a double hundred in the game to see MI over the line.

In the same statement, Yuzvendra Chahal also wished that youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be dismissed for a golden duck so that Rajasthan Royals' chances to win the game get minimised.

Yuzvendra Chahal said, "I hope Rohit Sharma scores 200 against RR and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets out on a golden duck so we can qualify for the playoffs."

Yuzvendra Chahal bowled promisingly in PBKS' final clash against LSG

Yuzvendra Chahal bowled promisingly in the final league match of the season against the Lucknow Super Giants. He dismissed the likes of set batters Ayush Badoni and Rishabh Pant while finishing with figures of 2/25 in his four overs at the Ekana Sports Complex.

At the back of these two wickets, he now has 12 wickets in IPL 2026. Though the season has not been the best for him, with the PBKS fielders dropping too many catches off his bowling. It was reported that he had created over 20 chances, while nearly 50% of these catches were dropped.

Yuzvendra Chahal is the highest wicket-taker in the history of the competition and has 233 scalps to his name; however, ever since he moved into the Punjab Kings squad, he has struggled with form and lacked his wicket-taking ability.

Punjab Kings qualification scenario

Punjab Kings have now reached the top 4 in the IPL 2026 points table. With 15 points, they are at the moment ahead of several teams; however, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders are still in the race for the playoffs.

The Rajasthan Royals have their last match left, and if they can manage to win it against the Mumbai Indians by even the slightest of margins, then PBKS will be eliminated, while the Royals will enter the playoffs.

Even if RR loses the game, KKR will immediately come into the competition. However, a win would not satisfy them, as they have to win by a massive margin. If KKR manage to score 200-225 runs, then they will have to secure a 76 to 77 run victory. On the batting front, if they are chasing a 200-run total, then they will have to chase it down within 12 overs, which seems an impossible task.

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Even after 68 league matches, the IPL 2026 playoffs race is still wide open. Each year, the top four teams on the points table at the end of the league stage qualify for the playoffs.

So far this year, three teams - the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the Gujarat Titans, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad - have confirmed their spots in the playoffs. RCB and GT will play Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on May 26 after finishing first and second on the points table, respectively.

SRH, though, have finished third and will play the Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on May 27. Three other teams - the Rajasthan Royals, the Punjab Kings, and the Kolkata Knight Riders - are now in contention to join SRH in Mullanpur. Interestingly, RCB, GT, and SRH have all finished with 9 wins in 14 matches and 18 points, with net run rate being the only differentiator.

Under the playoffs format, the winner of Qualifier 1 will play the IPL final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31. The loser of this encounter will face the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2 in Mullanpur on May 29. The winner of Qualifier 2 will play the final against the winner of Qualifier 1.

IPL schedule for Sunday

The remaining two matches in the league stage will be played on Sunday, May 24. In the afternoon match, RR will take on the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

In the evening match, KKR will play the Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. All three teams still in contention for the playoffs will need to keep an eye on both games.

Playoffs Qualification scenario for all three teams

As of now, PBKS have completed all 14 of their matches in IPL 2026, while RR and KKR will play their 14th games today. Right now, Punjab are fourth on the points table with 15 points, having won 7 matches and one ending in a no-result.

RR are fifth with 14 points, having won 7 of their 13 matches. KKR are sixth with 6 wins, one no-result, and 13 points from 13 matches.

Rajasthan Royals

RR have the easiest equation of the three teams in contention to make the playoffs. Despite winning each of their first four matches, RR fumbled the mid-season but recovered in time to find themselves in a situation where they control their own destiny.

PBKS' win over the Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday means that Sunday's day game is now a must-win for RR. If RR beat MI, they will take the fourth qualification spot and eliminate both PBKS and KKR. If RR lose, then they will be eliminated, and everything will hinge on the evening match.

RR winning against MI will take them to 16 points, a total that neither PBKS nor KKR can match now, let alone take over.

Punjab Kings

At the halfway mark, PBKS were tipped by multiple experts as the team to beat. Some even said that other teams should just stop trying and hand them the IPL trophy straight away.

In their first 7 matches, PBKS had 6 wins and one no-result. From here, last year's runners-up went on a 6-match losing streak that was only broken when they beat LSG on Saturday. Now, their destiny is no longer in their control, and despite being on an odd number of points, they need NRR in their favour.

For PBKS to qualify, they need RR to lose to MI. This is a non-negotiable as explained above. Ideally, they would want the Delhi Capitals to beat KKR in the evening. If this happens, then Punjab will qualify in fourth place with 15 points, while RR will be on 14 and KKR will be on 13.

If RR lose to MI, but KKR beat DC, then the fourth spot will come down to net run rate between KKR and PBKS, as both teams will finish on 15 points.

Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR were almost the opposite of PBKS when it came to their season progression. In their first 6 matches, they had 5 losses and one no-result, against PBKS.

But, they recovered in the second half to post 6 wins in their next 7 matches to give themselves an outside chance to make the playoffs. But, PBKS' win over LSG on Saturday made KKR's job that much harder.

Now, to qualify, KKR need to not just beat DC, but also hope that RR lose to MI and that their net run rate can cross PBKS'.

KKR cannot overtake Punjab's points tally, but have an outside chance at crossing their NRR. To cross that tally, KKR will need to win by approximately 75 runs if they bat first, or chase their target down in around 13 overs, if batting second. The exact numbers will vary based on the actual scores in the match.

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