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The 54th match of IPL 2025 at the picturesque Dharamsala saw Punjab Kings (PBKS) take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a high-stakes clash. LSG skipper Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to bowl first, setting the stage for a fierce contest between bat and ball. With both teams jostling for crucial points, the spotlight quickly turned to a riveting mini-battle between PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer and LSG’s rising spinner Digvesh Rathi.
Digvesh Rathi webs Shreyas Iyer with a turner after being hit for a six
As the PBKS innings gained momentum, Iyer was in imperious touch, having already raced to 45 off just 24 balls. When Rathi came on to bowl the 13th over, Iyer greeted him with authority-stepping across and launching a full delivery over long-on for a towering six, his second of the innings. The shot seemed to signal Iyer’s intent to accelerate further, and with the score at 128/2, PBKS looked set for a massive total.
But Rathi, undeterred by the onslaught, delivered the perfect riposte on the very next ball. Tossing it up outside off, he tempted Iyer to go inside-out, only for the PBKS skipper to mistime his shot and lob a simple catch to backward point. It was a significant breakthrough as not only was Iyer dismissed for the first time by a spinner this season, but Rathi also marked the wicket with his trademark ‘notebook’ celebration, this time scribbling on his hand instead of the turf. The wicket halted PBKS’s charge and gave LSG a much-needed opening in the middle overs.
Here’s the video:
Power meets Payback 👊
🎥 Shreyas Iyer dazzled with a standstill six, only to be undone by Digvesh Rathi’s delivery right after!
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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL)
Prabhsimran Singh anchors PBKS to a big total
Despite Iyer’s departure, PBKS maintained their aggressive approach. Prabhsimran Singh anchored the innings with a commanding half-century, mixing audacious strokeplay with calculated risk. Josh Inglis had earlier provided a blistering cameo, smashing 30 off just 14 balls before falling to Akash Singh. Nehal Wadhera chipped in with a quickfire 16, while Shashank Singh finished unbeaten, ensuring the run rate never dipped.
At the end of 20 overs, PBKS had surged to 236/5, with Prabhsimran falling short of his ton on 91 and Shashank on 29 off 14. Punjab look poised to defend this daunting total, capitalizing on their bowling line-up. The fall of Iyer did slow their momentum momentarily, but the depth in batting allowed PBKS to keep pressing forward, eyeing a finish well above 200 in their allotted 20 overs.