Shreyas Iyer Hails Prabhsimran Singh for 'Raising His Bar' and Finishing Games
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer praised Prabhsimran Singh for “raising his bar” after the wicketkeeper-batsman delivered a match-winning unbeaten 80 off 39 balls against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday evening.
The 26-year-old lit up the venue with his strokeplay as Punjab Kings chased down a target of 196 with ease, finishing at 198 for three in 16.3 overs to climb to the top of the IPL 2026 points table.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar highlighted the turning point of the match, pointing to a dropped catch that allowed Prabhsimran to capitalise.
"In hindsight, that drop did turn out to be a crucial moment because Prabhsimran Singh made the most of it. Punjab Kings’ top order has been doing the bulk of the scoring, and he brings that aggressive intent which immediately puts bowlers under pressure," he said on JioHotstar.
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Why does Shreyas Iyer believe Prabhsimran Singh has “raised his bar”?
Amid attention on emerging names like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran has continued to contribute consistently for Punjab Kings.
The Patiala-born batter had played a key role in the team’s run to the final last season, scoring 549 runs at a strike rate of 160.53.
Iyer acknowledged the growth in Prabhsimran’s game, particularly his ability to finish matches.
"I think he has certainly raised his bar, considering last season where he was going in the power play, just swinging wild. Even though getting runs, he was giving us excellent starts. But this time I feel that he's got that maturity to finish off the game," Iyer said in the post-match presentation.
"And it's great to see youngsters coming up and finishing off the games, taking the responsibility and saying that, okay, I'm going to win the match for the team,” the Punjab Kings captain said.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians posted 195 for six after being put in to bat. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock struck an unbeaten 112 off 60 balls, hitting eight boundaries and seven sixes, while Naman Dhir contributed 50 off 31 deliveries with three boundaries and three maximums.
For Punjab, Arshdeep Singh returned figures of three for 22 in four overs, with Marco Jansen and Shashank Singh picking up one wicket each.
In response, Prabhsimran anchored the chase with Iyer, who scored 66 off 35 balls, including five boundaries and four sixes, as Punjab Kings completed a comprehensive victory.
(With inputs from ANI)