Shreyas Iyer Makes IPL History with Century Against Lucknow Super Giants
New Delhi: Shreyas Iyer made a significant impact in cricket history by scoring a remarkable century in a crucial match against the Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday, May 23. With a target of 197 runs to stay in the playoff race, Iyer achieved an unbeaten score of 101, leading the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to victory at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
The Kings faced considerable pressure entering this match, having lost their previous six games. Early in the chase, they lost opener Priyansh Arya and No. 3 Cooper Connolly, which intensified fears of another defeat. Nonetheless, Iyer played a pivotal role, showcasing skill and composure as he formed a match-winning 140-run partnership with Prabhsimran Singh for the third wicket.
Although Prabhsimran was dismissed for 69 runs with PBKS still needing 35 runs for victory, Iyer displayed leadership by completing the chase in the 18th over, marking his first IPL century. As the Kings required three runs to win and Iyer was five runs shy of his century, he hit Mohsin Khan for a six over cow corner to seal both the match and his milestone.
Iyer now stands out as the first captain in Indian Premier League (IPL) history to score a century while batting at No. 4 or lower. He surpassed the previous record held by Dinesh Karthik, who scored an unbeaten 97 as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019. Riyan Parag also held the record with a score of 95 while leading Rajasthan Royals in a match against KKR in 2025.
Highest Scores by Captains in IPL at No. 4 or Lower:
- Shreyas Iyer: 101* for PBKS vs LSG in 2026
- Dinesh Karthik: 97* for KKR vs RR in 2019
- Riyan Parag: 95 for RR vs KKR in 2025
- Rohit Sharma: 94 for MI vs RCB in 2018
- Riyan Parag: 90 for RR vs DC in 2026
Additionally, Iyer has joined an elite group as only the third captain to hit an IPL century during a successful chase, following in the footsteps of Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli. Sehwag scored 119 while chasing 176 for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), and Kohli made an unbeaten 108 leading RCB to victory over Rising Pune Supergiants in a 192-run chase.
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