Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer was the star performer for the side in their clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the second qualifier of IPL 2025 that took place on Sunday at the Narendra Modi stadium. His knock of 87 runs from 41 deliveries was the catalyst to the Punjab-based franchise chasing down the target of 204 with six deliveries left to spare and reaching the final of IPL 2025.
Shreyas Iyer has had a terrific IPL 2025 campaign
Iyer has been among the side's best performers this season not just due to his commendable leadership, but also because of his stunning performances with the bat. The 30-year-old has scored 603 runs in 16 matches so far this season and has played a key role in PBKS reaching the IPL final for the first time in 11 years.
Punjab-based franchise's bowling coach James Hopes was also left impressed with Iyer's leadership skills during the important match against MI. The former Australia cricketer remarked that if it weren't for Iyer's captaincy, then the Mumbai-based franchise would have put up a total as high as 220 or 230.
"He's calm, doesn't get flustered very easily and he knows his matchups. He knows what he has to do at certain times and he's prepared to take that." “When he was a younger player in Delhi (Capitals), he was a little bit more explosive and gung-ho, but he scores at a high strike right now strictly because he knows when a bowler comes on, that's his matchup and he's going to take it (on). With his captaincy, tonight, we kept them to 200 (203/6), but I reckon they could have got 220 or 230 and just because the way he pulls the strings out there and manoeuvred (the) bowlers around,” Hopes said after the match.
Hopes also believes that Iyer will return to India's Test set-up soon despite the batter not getting picked in the squad for the five-match Test series against England that is set to commence from June 20.
“He's played well in the last 12 months in his time in the Indian short form teams. I know he's not in the Test tour to go to the UK, but I'd imagine his name would have been spoken about pretty heavily, and that's just the way some selections go. He'll find his way back there, I'm sure,” Hopes stated.
PBKS will now be facing-off against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 final on June 3 at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. Both sides haven't registered a single IPL triumph so far in their history, so the crowning of a new champion is guaranteed. The IPL title has been lifted by seven different teams so far.