IPL 2026 : Shardul Thakur castles Shreyas Iyer with a peach in high-voltage PBKS vs MI clash

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The HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala witnessed a moment of pure bowling brilliance during the IPL 2026 clash between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians as Shardul Thakur produced a dream delivery to dismiss Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer. Just when the PBKS captain looked ready to settle in and anchor the innings, the Mumbai pacer unleashed a beauty that completely outfoxed him and sent the off stump cartwheeling.

The dismissal instantly changed the mood of the game, with Mumbai players erupting in celebration while Shardul let out a fiery roar after removing his fellow Mumbaikar in dramatic fashion.

The wicket came at a crucial stage of the innings when Punjab were trying to accelerate after a steady start. Bowling from over the wicket, Shardul delivered a sharp short-of-a-length ball outside off stump that straightened and moved away just enough after pitching. Iyer, known for his confident strokeplay against pace, appeared to have the line covered while attempting a defensive push. However, the late movement deceived him completely. The ball zipped past the outside edge and crashed into the top of off stump, leaving the PBKS captain stunned.

It was one of those deliveries that bowlers dream of producing in T20 cricket — precise, aggressive and impossible to defend once the seam movement kicked in. Shardul’s animated celebration reflected the importance of the breakthrough. Having endured a few expensive overs earlier, the all-rounder once again proved why he is often regarded as a wicket-taker capable of producing game-changing moments out of nowhere.

#MI bowlers on the mark 🎯

🎥 Shardul Thakur and Raj Bawa hitting the top of off 😮🔥

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/idtc2OTLbP#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #PBKSvMI | @mipaltan

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 14, 2026

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Despite losing wickets at regular intervals and facing disciplined bowling from Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings still managed to post a commanding total of 200/8 in their 20 overs.

The innings was anchored by an explosive knock from Prabhsimran Singh, who continued his impressive season with a well-made 57 off just 32 deliveries. The wicketkeeper-batter attacked the Mumbai bowlers fearlessly and ensured Punjab maintained momentum during the powerplay and middle overs.

However, the middle order struggled to build substantial partnerships after the dismissal of Iyer. Mumbai bowlers, especially Shardul Thakur, kept striking at key moments to prevent Punjab from completely running away with the game. Just when the innings seemed to be slowing down, Azmatullah Omarzai provided the late fireworks PBKS desperately needed. The Afghanistan all-rounder smashed 38 runs off only 17 balls, punishing the bowlers in the death overs with clean hitting and clever placement.

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