Shreyas Iyer hits maiden IPL ton, Punjab Kings keep playoff hopes alive

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer delivered one of the finest knocks of IPL 2026, smashing his maiden IPL century in a high-pressure, must-win encounter against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.

Facing a do-or-die situation in the playoff race, Iyer rose to the occasion with an unbeaten 101, guiding PBKS to a commanding seven-wicket victory and keeping their qualification hopes alive.

The PBKS skipper reached his century in style with a towering six as Punjab comfortably chased down 196 and climbed into the top four of the points table heading into the final round of league matches.

Batting first, LSG posted 196/6 in 20 overs, powered by an explosive 72 off 44 balls from Josh Inglis.

However, the hosts lost momentum during the middle overs as PBKS bowlers tightened the scoring rate and picked up regular wickets.

Punjab’s chase began shakily with early wickets, but Iyer anchored the innings brilliantly under pressure.

Alongside Prabhsimran Singh, he stitched together a massive 140-run partnership that completely shifted the momentum in PBKS’ favour.

The victory not only ended Punjab’s six-match losing streak but also produced a historic moment for Iyer.

The PBKS captain became just the third captain in franchise history to score an IPL century after:

KL Rahul – 132* vs RCB (2020)

Adam Gilchrist – 106 vs RCB (2011)

Shreyas Iyer – 101* vs LSG (2026)

Iyer also entered an elite IPL captaincy record list by becoming only the fourth captain in tournament history to score a century while chasing a target.

Centuries by captains in IPL chases

119 – Virender Sehwag vs Deccan Chargers (2011)

108* – Virat Kohli vs Rising Pune Supergiant (2016)

119 – Sanju Samson vs PBKS (2021)

101* – Shreyas Iyer vs LSG (2026)

Punjab's playoffs chance

Punjab Kings (PBKS) currently sit fourth on the IPL 2026 Points Table with 15 points from 14 games, but their playoff qualification is completely out of their hands.

If RR wins this afternoon's game against MI, they will reach 16 points and automatically secure the 4th spot, instantly eliminating Punjab.

If RR loses to MI, Punjab then looks to the evening match.

If DC beats KKR, KKR is stuck at 13 points and DC only reaches 14 points.

Because Punjab has 15 points, they safely qualify.