During the IPL 2026 match between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Dharamshala, Shardul Thakur clean-bowled PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer with a brilliant, nibbling delivery and celebrated with a delighted, fiery gesture. Bowling the 11.4 over of the first innings, Thakur pitched a fuller length ball on off and middle that angled away subtly. Shreyas Iyer stayed back to guide it fine but was completely beaten past the outside edge as the ball knocked over the top of off-stump. This crucial wicket marked Thakur's second breakthrough in the very same over, having already dismissed a well-set Prabhsimran Singh.

Recognizing the massive value of the wicket, Thakur turned around instantly, let out an intense roar, and pumped his fists toward the sky. The extra emotion behind the celebration stems from their deep off-field brotherhood. Both are mainstays for the domestic Mumbai team and frequently share viral reels, making any on-field faceoff highly competitive yet lighthearted. In the span of just four balls, Thakur single-handedly derailed Punjab's strong momentum. PBKS slumped from a highly comfortable position to an anxious 111/3 at the "Nelson" mark.  

Shardul Thakur cleans up half PBKS batting lineup in Dharamshala

During the IPL 2026 match between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on May 14, 2026, veteran pacer Shardul Thakur single-handedly dismantled the PBKS batting engine by ripping through their dangerous top and middle order in Dharamshala. After an expensive first over where he leaked 15 runs, Thakur bounced back spectacularly, registering an impactful spell of 3 wickets for 32 runs in 3 overs to trigger a severe Punjab collapse. Thakur bowled a hard length, pace-on delivery clocked over 131 kph outside off-stump. Prabhsimran threw his hands at it wildly from deep in the crease, only to slice it high down to deep third man, where Corbin Bosch settled comfortably under the ball to secure a crucial catch.

Just two balls after his first wicket, Thakur pitched a subtle, nibbling delivery full on off-stump. Iyer played inside the line on his back foot, but the ball moved just enough to avoid his outside edge and rattled the top of off-stump, sending the skipper back for 4. Returning for his third over, Thakur slipped in a deceptively full delivery right on Shedge's pads. Shedge uncomfortably flicked it uppishly toward short midwicket, where fielder Raj Bawa threw himself fully to his left, snaring a sensational two-handed catch in mid-air.