Iyer's power hitting, Vyshak's 'impact'-ful bowling help Punjab edge Gujarat
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Not all heroes score runs or bag wickets, some just win matches; like 'impact sub' Vijaykumar Vyshak, whose invaluable death-bowling skills gave Punjab Kings a 11-run win over Gujarat Titans in their high-scoring IPL 2025 opener in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Captain Shreyas Iyer's unbeaten 97 off 42 had powered Punjab to a massive 243/5. It would have been sufficient on most occasions, but not tonight, as Gujarat got off to a great start, with Sai Sudharsan leading the assault. Gujarat were well on course when Sudharsan fell after a 41-ball 74, at 145/2 in 12.3 overs.
Then came the masterstroke from Punjab, coached by Australian legend Ricky Ponting. Pacer Vyshak was subbed in for batter Priyansh Arya in the 13th over. Against two set batters -- Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford, Vyshak made an instant impact.
He gave away just 10 runs from his first two overs, frustrating Rutherford with a stock delivery that swung away from the left-hander. Vyshak often flirted with wide deliveries as he aimed for the extreme of the outside off-stump line. The tactic was spot on, and though Rutherford managed to negate the swing by moving his feet and fetching a pair of boundaries, followed by a six from Rahul Tewatia, Gujarat's chase had derailed.
Vyshak finished his three overs, giving away 28 runs, of which 18 came in the third. But Gujarat needed 27 from the last over, and it wasn't easy against Arshdeep Singh, one of the finest death-bowling exponents in the game. The left-arm pacer removed Tewatia, run out at the non-striker's end, and Rutherford, castled, in the final over to script a masterful win.
Earlier, Iyer justified his big-money move to Punjab Kings with some exquisite strokeplay. Priyansh Arya had laid the foundation with a 23-ball 47, but Iyer made the bigger impact. Shashank Singh, one of the two Indian stars retained by the franchise, clubbed an unbeaten 44 off 16 balls.
Shashank's urgency to bulk up the total denied his skipper a deserving century, as Iyer had to stay at the non-striker's end the whole of the 20th over while his teammate smashed Siraj for four boundaries.
Gujarat's best spell came when Sai Kishore turned up with his left-arm spin. On a track that even showed no mercy to the experienced Rashid Khan (1/48), Kishore made merry, picking three wickets, including Glenn Maxwell (0) and Marcus Stoinis (20).
Brief scores: Punjab Kings 243/5 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 97 not out, Priyansh Arya 47, Shashank Singh 44 not out, Sai Kishore 3/30) bt Gujarat Titans 232/5 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 74, Jos Buttler 54, Rutherford 46, Gill 33, Arshdeep Singh 2/36)