Follow UsShreyas Iyer has had a stellar season with the bat for Punjab Kings, and he continued that in the second Qualifier as well, as he headlined the 204-run chase with an unbeaten 87 off just 41 deliveries. At the end, PBKS made it to their second IPL final with five wickets in hand and one over remaining.
In the process, the PBKS skipper played some scintillating shots. However, the most jaw-dropping one was against Jasprit Bumrah in the 18th over of the game. With 31 needed off three overs, Bumrah was entrusted with taking MI home, and the ace pacer bowled his most lethal delivery - a 140 kmph pinpoint accurate yorker on the middle stump of Iyer.
However, Iyer had ice in his veins and just calmly employed his superb reflexes to come in handy at the very last moment as he guided that yorker past the short third man fielder to the boundary. Infact, Iyer had played a similar shot against Bumrah in his early IPL days, when he used to play for Delhi Daredevils.
Speaking on Star Sports, AB de Villiers called it the shot of the tournament and said that even his own stumps would have been shattered on that delivery.
“That’s the shot of the IPL for me,” de Villiers said.
“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!”
De Villiers, who has 5162 runs in the IPL at an average of almost 40 while striking at 151.68, praised Iyer’s composure at the crease and his level-headedness as PBKS cruised home against the best pace bowling lineup in the competition.
“I don’t know where to start. I’m obviously a huge fan. But that innings tonight was out of this world,” de Villiers said.
“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 and level-headed, not arrogant, and I love that about him. Many more runs will come from this guy in the future. Shreyas Iyer, I salute you. What a knock,” the Proteas legend added.