India, April 26 -- Punjab Kings did not buy Shreyas Iyer only for runs. They bought structure, leadership and late-innings control. More than a year after spending Rs.26.75 crore on him at the IPL 2025 mega auction, that call is starting to look like the decision that changed the franchise's direction.

Iyer's value to PBKS came into sharper focus after their record chase against Delhi Capitals, where Punjab hunted down 265 in 18.5 overs to complete the highest successful chase in IPL history. KL Rahul's unbeaten 152 had taken DC to 264/2, but PBKS responded through a brutal opening stand and an unbeaten 71 off 36 balls from Iyer, who stayed till the end to close the game. The result gave Punjab their sixth win in seven matches in IPL 202...