IPL 2026: SHREYAS HIGHER! Table toppers PBKS face DC

Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer during the tie vs Kolkata Knight Riders recently. Pic/IPL

The Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings will take on hosts Delhi Capitals with an eye on keeping their top spot intact in the points table. Iyer & Co, who have 11 points from five wins out of their six matches so far with one being a washout, have looked solid in all departments and bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule attributes this to the team's leader.

"Shreyas is a Mumbai boy so I've seen his growth over time. His leadership qualities are special because he feels that he's not just responsible for himself, but also for the other 10 guys on the field. Besides, his collaboration with the support staff and guys who are not playing, is phenomenal too," said Bahutule at the match-eve conference here on Friday.

The scene where Iyer hugged all-rounder Shashank Singh, meaning to protect him from coach Ricky Ponting's ire after Singh had a poor outing in the field against LSG at Mullanpur (April 19) is most endearing. "I feel the rapport Shreyas has with each player… he understands them well and knows exactly how to get the best out of a player. He is someone who's very calm and composed in terms of his understanding towards any situation," said Bahutule.

For PBKS, their openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh have been solid, as is their bowling department led by pacer Arshdeep Singh who has 6 wickets so far. Meanwhile, DC (six points), who have won three matches and lost three, head into this tie on the back of a 47-run loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad. They will be hoping that KL Rahul and Sameer Rizvi can be back among the big runs.

14
No of wins for PBKS under Shreyas Iyer in 22 matches