Iyer says Punjab players want to impress each other, not outsiders

## Summary
Advertisement Sport Iyer says Punjab players want to impress each other, not outsiders Cricket - Indian Premier League - IPL - Chennai Super Kings v Punjab Kings - MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India - April 3, 2026 Punjab Kings' Shreyas Iyer in action REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh Cricket - Indian Premier League - IPL - Chennai Super Kings v Punjab Kings - MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India - April 3, 2026 Punjab Kings' Priyansh Arya gets bowled out by Chennai Super Kings' Matt Henry REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh 04 Apr 2026 11:43AM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST NEW DELHI, April 4 : Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said an internal competitive edge has driven his side's early-season success rather than any desire to impress those outside the dressing room, after scoring a second successive Indian Premier League (IPL) win on Friday. The team stormed to the top of the IPL standings by chasing down 210 with eight balls to spare against Chennai Super Kings, completing another statement victory to open their campaign with back-to-back wins. Their top order came out swinging and never really relented, with Iyer leading by example with a commanding 50 off 29 balls as Punjab completed the chase at Chennai's M.A.

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Iyer says Punjab players want to impress each other, not outsiders
Cricket - Indian Premier League - IPL - Chennai Super Kings v Punjab Kings - MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India - April 3, 2026 Punjab Kings' Shreyas Iyer in action REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh
Cricket - Indian Premier League - IPL - Chennai Super Kings v Punjab Kings - MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India - April 3, 2026 Punjab Kings' Priyansh Arya gets bowled out by Chennai Super Kings' Matt Henry REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh
04 Apr 2026 11:43AM
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NEW DELHI, April 4 : Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said an internal competitive edge has driven his side's early-season success rather than any desire to impress those outside the dressing room, after scoring a second successive Indian Premier League (IPL) win on Friday.
The team stormed to the top of the IPL standings by chasing down 210 with eight balls to spare against Chennai Super Kings, completing another statement victory to open their campaign with back-to-back wins.
Their top order came out swinging and never really relented, with Iyer leading by example with a commanding 50 off 29 balls as Punjab completed the chase at Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
"We've just decided in the dressing room that whatever happens, we are going to play a brand of cricket which is to impress each other, not others outside," Iyer said after the match.
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"That gives us a certain sort of clarity as well, when we approach the game. It is basically challenging each other inside the dressing room, not outside."
The chase was Punjab's ninth successful pursuit of a 200-plus target, the highest among the IPL's 10 franchises.
Opener Priyansh Arya provided the early spark with a blistering 39 off 11 balls, and Punjab's top-order batsmen sustained the charge to leave Chennai chasing the game for most of the night.
"I'm glad that everyone's getting to bat in the first two games itself," Iyer said.
"That gives immense confidence for the team as well. Whenever we're stuck in a pressure situation, people are aware of how to handle them."
There was, however, one blemish, with Iyer and his teammates fined for a slow over-rate for the second match running, an issue the captain acknowledged needs to be fixed quickly.
"The over-rate is something we should look into right now, because five fielders coming in in the last two overs, you sort of know that there's one line to bowl.
"That's the only part we need to focus on."
Source: Reuters
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST NEW DELHI, April 4 : Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said an internal competitive edge has driven his side's early-season success rather than any desire to impress those outside the dressing room, after scoring a second successive Indian Premier League (IPL) win on Friday.

### Areas for Consideration
- CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less "That gives us a certain sort of clarity as well, when we approach the game.
- Whenever we're stuck in a pressure situation, people are aware of how to handle them." There was, however, one blemish, with Iyer and his teammates fined for a slow over-rate for the second match running, an issue the captain acknowledged needs to be fixed quickly. "The over-rate is something we should look into right now, because five fielders coming in in the last two overs, you sort of know that there's one line to bowl. "That's the only part we need to focus on." Source: Reuters Newsletter Recommended Read Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss.

### Implications
- Whenever we're stuck in a pressure situation, people are aware of how to handle them." There was, however, one blemish, with Iyer and his teammates fined for a slow over-rate for the second match running, an issue the captain acknowledged needs to be fixed quickly. "The over-rate is something we should look into right now, because five fielders coming in in the last two overs, you sort of know that there's one line to bowl. "That's the only part we need to focus on." Source: Reuters Newsletter Recommended Read Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers punjab, kings, chennai topics. Notable strengths include discussion of punjab. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 648.