Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer could not carry forward his form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Kohli's stellar T20 record at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, did not matter as he got out playing a cut shot against Romario Shepherd. His wicket led to PBKS struggling in the middle overs of the run chase and eventually falling short of the target by seven runs. While Iyer is being lauded for his captaincy, the former Indian all-rounder Yograj Singh slammed him for the shot selection. He labelled that shot to edge the ball to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma as "criminal".
“The shot which Shreyas Iyer played in the final was a criminal offence, according to me. Ashok Mankad told me about this criminal offence, which comes under Section 302. He also told me that the repercussions of this is that you will be banned for two matches. What Shreyas did yesterday is not acceptable. There is no apology for that,” Yograj, father of legendary Yuvraj Singh, told ANI.
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At the same venue, Iyer scored an unbeaten 87 off 41 balls a couple of nights ago in the Qualifier 2 clash against Mumbai Indians (MI). After his wicket, Nehal Wadhera played too many dot balls. Marcus Stoinis and Azmatullah Omarzai were dismissed cheaply whereas Shashank Singh's unbeaten 30-ball 61 wasn't enough.
What Iyer said after the final loss
Iyer credited left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya for outplaying PBKS. He conceded just 17 runs from four overs and got two crucial wickets of opener Prabhsimran Singh and Josh Inglis.
"Dejected to be honest but the way our boys came up to the occasion, the way we cherished, it wasn't immaculate but lot of credit goes to the management, the support staff and each and every person who has participated and contributed. The way the owners supported us was also amazing. Considering the last game against MI, I personally felt that 200 was a par score. They bowled brilliantly, especially Krunal, he carries a lot of experience, he has done it over a period of time. I believe that was the turning point," Iyer said in the post-match presentation.
Iyer lauded the youngsters who have gained experience from knockout matches. He wants to lead PBKS to their maiden title next season.
"The job is still half done, we have to be here and win the trophy next year. Positives, definitely the way we turned up and every individual stepping up and saying that he can win the match, there are so many youngsters in the team, I'm sure they've gained a lot of experience from these matches. I'm sure when they come next year they will carry immense experience with them. We can build some tactics and strategies around that so that we can play some decent cricket," he added.
Iyer's numbers in IPL 2025
Iyer was the sixth-highest run-scorer in the season. From 17 innings, he scored 604 runs at an average of 50.33, including six half-centuries. He scored at a strike rate of 175.07. He hit 39 sixes, most for any PBKS batter in a season. He was the second-highest six-hitter in IPL 2025, only behind Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) Nicholas Pooran who hit 40.