Ashwin believes Vijaykumar Vyshak deserved the Player of the Match award over Shreyas Iyer, praising his crucial death bowling that turned the game for PBKS.
Punjab Kings secured an 11-run win over Gujarat Titans in their IPL 2025 opener, with Vijaykumar Vyshak playing a crucial role as an Impact Player. GT, needing 75 runs in six overs with eight wickets in hand, looked set for a win with Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford at the crease.
Vyshak’s introduction turned the game as he delivered three tight overs, conceding only 28 runs. He bowled the 15th, 17th, and 19th overs, executing wide yorkers effectively to restrict GT’s batters. Despite his impact, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer won the Player of the Match award for his unbeaten 97 off 42 balls.
Former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin felt Vyshak deserved the recognition, highlighting his composure under pressure. Notably, Vyshak had spent most of the match on the bench before stepping up in the toughest phase, preventing GT from accelerating and sealing Punjab’s win.
“One man was serving water to every player on the ground and was sitting in the dugout wearing a bib. The game was in the balance, maybe Gujarat were slightly ahead. Sherfane Rutherford and Jos Buttler were batting quite well. They called Vijaykumar Vyshak out of nowhere in the 14th over and told him to bring us back in the game. PBKS were out of the game. He bowled exceedingly well in the 17th and 19th over. Of course, he didn’t get a wicket, but what brilliant death bowling,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“Crystal clear thinking, great execution. He nailed the wides yorkers, yes there a couple of full tosses I told bowlers that don’t be afraid of bowling full tosses and nowadays the ball comes os beautifully off the pitch that batters get startled by full tosses. For me, Vyshak was the MVP. Secretly, Vijaykumar Vyshak should have been the Player of the Match,” he added.
Punjab Kings will next face Lucknow Super Giants on April 1, while Gujarat Titans will play Mumbai Indians on March 29.
