This marks Shreyas Iyer's tenth season in the IPL, yet he has yet to achieve a century. In his inaugural match of IPL 2025, which also served as his debut as captain of the Punjab Kings after being acquired for an impressive ₹26.75 crore during last year's mega auction, he found himself at 90 runs off 38 balls at the conclusion of the 17th over against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The anticipation for his first IPL century, following 117 matches, was palpable. However, it did not materialize. In the subsequent three overs, Shreyas, who was scoring at a remarkable rate of 230, faced only four balls and finished the innings unbeaten on 97. Fortunately for both him and PBKS, the batter Shashank Singh, who took the majority of the strike in those final overs, maintained a strike rate of 275.

Shreyas, having played in age-group teams alongside Shashank, was well aware of his teammate's ability to hit. The PBKS captain explicitly instructed him not to focus on his century and to play aggressively for boundaries. This advice came after Shreyas had already hit three sixes in the 17th over. His choice to relinquish the strike proved to be wise, as Shashank struck six fours—five of which came in the final over bowled by Mohammed Siraj—and two sixes, concluding his innings with an impressive 44 runs off just 16 balls.

During the innings break, former India head coach Ravi Shastri inquired of Shashank about his thoughts upon realizing that his captain, Shreyas, was left stranded on 97.

“To be completely honest, Shreyas told me from the very first ball, ‘Shashank, don’t worry about my hundred. Just play your shots and finish the innings well.’ So, I have to give him credit for the way he communicated with me before that over,” he remarked.

Shreyas' unselfish approach contributed significantly to PBKS' total, which reached 243/5, ultimately proving to be 11 runs more than what the Gujarat Titans could manage.

Shastri reminds everyone of team games, Shreyas Iyer stranded on 97* in indirect dig at Kohli

Upon hearing Shashank's response, Shastri subtly criticized players who prioritize personal achievements over the needs of the team. He commended Shreyas for his mindset, stating, “That’s the right thing to say in a team game.”

While Shastri refrained from naming anyone specifically, it seemed he was alluding to Virat Kohli's pursuit of individual milestones. Following Shashank's mention of Shreyas' focus on the team rather than his century, videos surfaced of Kohli opting not to run for a double in order to maintain his strike and secure his century against KKR during an IPL match.

In the IPL 2019 game between RCB and KKR, with just two balls left, Kohli was at 96 when he instructed Marcus Stoinis to remain at the non-striker's end, despite what seemed to be an easy couple of runs. Stoinis wore a knowing smile, aware that Kohli was intent on reaching his century, which he accomplished with a boundary on the next delivery.

Kohli faced criticism for focusing on his personal milestone of scoring a century during the 2023 ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh.

Shreyas expressed great satisfaction with his contribution to the team's successful start in the 18th season of the IPL. "Scoring 97 not out in our opening match of the season is truly the highlight. I hit a four on my very first ball, which helped me find my rhythm. That six I flicked off Rabada was significant as well. Shashank's 44 runs off 16-17 balls were vital for the team. We established a standard that we needed to pursue," he remarked.

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