In the face of a game-defining over, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer stood tall to put Jasprit Bumrah’s final attempt to pull off a miracle for Mumbai Indians to rest with a superb counter to a toe-crushing yorker in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 match in Ahmedabad in the early hours of Monday. The brilliance of Iyer’s craft even led the South African legend AB de Villiers to acknowledge the genius behind Iyer’s shot-making.
Chasing a 204-run target, Punjab required 31 off three overs when skipper entrusted Bumrah to bowl out and perhaps pull the game back in their favour. Aiming right at the stumps with a pinpoint 140-kph-plus yorker, Bumrah nearly shattered the base of the middle-stump before Iyer’s stunning reflexes converted the block-hole delivery into four runs by digging it out with a last-moment slice past the short-third man fielder to the boundary.
“That’s the shot of the for me. That’s hitting the middle-stump – the perfect yorker. That’s literally breaking the toe of the bat. You can’t get that away. That’s maybe breaking my stumps if I’m facing it. He gets a four off that and puts the pressure straight back on MI against the best bowler in the world. Just incredible batting – pure, brute force and strength. What a fantastic player!” raved as he spoke to JioCinema.
vs – 10 year challenge
— praneeth? (@JonsnoW96_)
Iyer finished unbeaten on 87 off 41 balls as Punjab confirmed their first final in 11 years in the Mumbaikar’s first year in charge of the squad.
“I don’t know where to start. I’m obviously a huge fan. But that innings tonight was out of this world. He deserves every bit of the praise coming his way. Under immense pressure, knowing it was do-or-die, with the odds stacked against him – he stood tall.
“His sixes were a joy to watch. His head was still, his positioning perfect. He’s calm, not arrogant – level-headed, and I love that about him.
“There are many more runs to come from this guy in the future. Shreyas Iyer, I salute you. What a knock,” remarked de Villiers.
