Follow UsShreyas Iyer became the first captain to lead not just one or two, but three teams to the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs, after his side Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) in their last league stage game and claimed the number one position in the IPL 2025.
Whether they will finish first or second will be decided by the last league match of the season between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 27 (Tuesday), but one thing is for sure that PBKS will get two shots, if need be, to make it to the final.
Reacting after the win, Iyer, in the post-match presentation ceremony on May 26 (Monday) in Jaipur, revealed his team’s mindset in the tournament.
“I personally feel everyone stepped up at the right time. We have been in that mindset that we have to win no matter what situation. Kudos to everyone and the management,” he said.
Hardik Pandya, captain of the losing side, though, was measured in his assessment and said that his team will go all-out in the eliminator on May 30 to make sure that they give themselves a chance to reach their seventh IPL final.
“The way the wicket played, we were definitely 20 runs short. This was one of the days when we really couldn't play our best cricket and that cost us,” he said, before adding about his approach to the eliminator.
“The message would be simple: this was just a blip. Learn from this and look forward to the knockouts. Overall, play good cricket, bat well, bowl well, work on the plans,” added the 31-year-old.
Josh Inglis, who scored a brilliant 73 off 42 balls to steer Punjab’s chase and give them an easy win, was rightfully selected as Player ff the Match. The Australian said that his main focus was on finishing the game as he didn’t want to let things slip up in the middle.
“It was about playing smart cricket. [I] didn't want to let things slip in the middle overs. [It] would have been nice if one of us (him and Priyansh Arya) stayed till the end,” he said.