Follow UsIn Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Mumbai Indians (MI), Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer got extremely mad at Shashank Singh after the latter was run out due to his casualness in a tense run chase. Iyer did finish the game for PBKS but was seen getting angry at Shashank even after the match got over.
“I deserve it, Iyer should have slapped me, my father didn’t speak to me till the finals. I was casual, I was walking on the beach not even in the garden. It was a crucial time, Shreyas was clear that I didn’t expect this from you but later he took me out for dinner,” Shashank told the Indian Express.
Talking about Iyer’s captaincy, Shashank said, “Whatever I have spoken to others and seen, there is no better captain than him in current times in world cricket. He gives us freedom, he treats everyone equally. No one will say, Shreyas has an attitude. The youngsters in the dressing room find him to be a chill bandaa. Shreyas is the only captain who has told us that if anyone has any suggestions during the game, they can come and convey it to him. If he feels it’s the right advice, he will take it. It’s rare.”
PBKS finished at the top of the IPL 2025 points table but lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Qualifier 1 and then in the finale. Chasing a target of 191, PBKS fell short by six runs, with Shashank remaining unbeaten on 61 off 30. The right-hander missed a couple of easy full tosses, including one in the final over, where he hit Josh Hazlewood for 22 runs.
“I had done my calculation of the last two overs, Bhuvi likes to bowl yorkers so I had planned to get atleast 16-17 runs from him. My calculation was that in the last over our target should be 24 runs in 6 balls. I got only 13 from Bhuvi’s over though, so the final over runs needed was 30,” he said.
“Mentally, my mind was ready to get a first ball yorker from Hazelwood. So I had positioned myself but I never anticipated a full toss one, that too on my thigh pad. Now I feel, if I would have connected it, even if I got it on the handle of the bat, I would have got maximum, because the fine-leg was near. I was hoping for a wide from him but it never came. When I saw the scoreboard stating the last ball needed 12 runs, I knew it’s all over.
“People appreciated my batting wherever I have gone but all are reminding me of that one full toss miss. Mujhe bahut bura laga. The ball was on my hip, square leg was up, I just had to get that bat in which I couldn’t. From hotel to airport to ground to home, everyone had that one point bhaiyya woh ball mar dete bas.”