Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu praised Shreyas Iyer’s batting performances amid the ongoing IPL 2026. PBKS is the only unbeaten team in the ongoing season with three wins and one no result in four games ahead of their match against MI on Thursday.

Iyer has scored 137 runs in three innings of the tournament at an average of 68.50 and a blistering strike rate of 187.67 and he is the team’s leading run-getter in the season. Furthermore, Iyer had led PBKS to the final of the previous edition, scoring 604 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 175.07 and an average of more than 50.

Ambati Rayudu said on ESPN Cricinfo, “Shreyas Iyer especially has been in sublime form. I don’t think anybody in the middle order is playing as sweetly as him in terms of timing the ball or controlling the innings or accessing those gaps and playing some beautiful cricketing shots. So, I think when your captain does that, people around him will automatically look at him and get better.”

Speaking on PBKS’s weakness, the former CSK batter believes there is a bit of vulnerability in facing spin.

He added, “There is a little bit of vulnerability in terms of playing spin in the middle but I don’t think Mumbai has that kind of spinners right now. Also the wicket at Wankhede will not support the spinners as much. So, Punjab look very very strong and also they look very settled and they’re controlling the innings beautifully even while chasing. They’re not taking too many risks. They’re hitting good cricketing shots.”

PBKS were given a target of 196 by Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Thursday after Quinton de Kock scored a fine century.