Shreyas Iyer was a ‘dejected’ captain after Punjab Kings (PBKS) fell short by just six runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Tuesday (June 3).
Asked to bat first, RCB posted 190/9 on the board in the title clash. While Kohli was the top scorer with 35-ball 43, the likes of Patidar (26 off 16), Liam Livingstone (25 off 15) and Jitesh Sharma (24 off 10) made valuable contributions with the bat.
In reply, PBKS could manage only 184/7 in 20 overs, thanks mainly to Shashank Singh (61 not out) and Josh Inglis 39.
With the ball, Krunal Pandya (2-17 in 4 overs) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-38 in 4 overs) produced magical spells for RCB.
“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,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.
“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,” headded.
The loss stung a team that had defied expectations to reach their first IPL final after 11 years. Still, Shreyas insisted the job was only half done and remained optimistic about his side lifting the coveted trophy next year.
The PBKS skipper also hailed his team’s fearless performance throughout the season and acknowledged the contributions of everyone involved.
“I am very proud of each and every individual who has participated in this team. There are a lot of youngsters who are playing their first season. The fearless nature that they showed was simply phenomenal. I keep on saying the same thing but hats off to every individual who has been here and who has contributed, the support staff, the management. We wouldn’t be here without them, kudos to them,” Shreyas remarked.
“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 concluded.
