Last season’s runners-up Punjab Kings remain unbeaten in IPL 2026, with captain Shreyas Iyer playing a key role in their strong start to the season.
Since joining Punjab Kings, Shreyas Iyer has been in form and aims to go further after the team finished second in IPL 2025. Known as ‘Sarpanch’ among Punjab fans, Iyer scored 203 runs in four innings of IPL 2026 at an average of 67.67 and a strike rate of 187.96, with 14 sixes and 14 fours.
Speaking on JioStar, Iyer spoke about the nickname. “I love it. At the beginning of my journey with Punjab Kings I had no idea how the tag ‘Sarpanch’ came about and what it meant. But later when I asked a couple of my teammates, they explained to me that ‘Sarpanch’ means head of a family, a group or even a district. That gave me clarity and from there my journey began,” he said.
Iyer also said that the ultimate goal is to win the IPL trophy but the team is focusing on staying present and taking it step by step. He emphasized playing with full intention in the moment, avoiding distractions from the past or future and encouraging his teammates to focus on self-improvement.
“The mission, obviously, is to lift the trophy. But I always feel that the more you stay in the present, the more control you have of what you have in your hands at that moment and you just have to go full throttle. You don’t have to think too much about the future or dwell on the past. I reiterate the same point to my teammates as well, that when we are there, we play for ourselves, not against the opponents. We just want to improve every day and make sure we give our best. “When everything comes together and you build that synergy, everything fits,” Iyer said.
Punjab is the only unbeaten team this season and is at the top of the table with nine points from five matches. Their match against Kolkata Knight Riders failed and both teams got a point.
KKR only have that point so far and are last with five defeats in six games.
Unlimited batsman Prabhsimran Singh also contributed 211 runs, averaging over 70 with a strike rate of 172, including 22 fours and 11 sixes.