"Has he become MSD in the head?" - Bollywood star showers massive praise on Shreyas Iyer after PBKS vs MI IPL 2025 Qualifier 2

Bollywood star Aparshakti Khurana has heaped praise on Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer for his sensational knock against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2 of the 2025 IPL. The high-octane match took place on Sunday, June 1, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

After being put in to bat, Mumbai Indians posted a competitive 203/6, with Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma scoring 44 apiece. Jonny Bairstow (38) and Naman Dhir (37) also made valuable contributions to set up a strong total.

In reply, the Kings stumbled early as openers Priyansh Arya (20) and Prabhsimran Singh (6) fell cheaply. Josh Inglis provided a much-needed boost with a brisk 38 off just 21 balls.

The turning point came with a crucial partnership between Shreyas Iyer and Nehal Wadhera, who added 84 runs off 47 deliveries for the fourth wicket. Wadhera was eventually dismissed for a well-made 48 off 29 balls, while Iyer brought up his half-century and held firm at one end.

With 23 required off the final two overs and five wickets in hand, Iyer took complete control. Facing Ashwani Kumar in the penultimate over, he smashed four sixes to seal the victory.

Iyer remained unbeaten on a scintillating 87 off just 41 deliveries, including five fours and eight sixes, as Punjab Kings secured a thrilling five-wicket win with an over to spare.

After the match, Bollywood actor Aparshakti Khurana shared a picture on Instagram, praising Shreyas Iyer. He wrote:

“In hearts of hearts, I was praying for a Punjab v RCB final this season! Happy to see that it’s happening, but I have been a fan of Mumbai Indians for a lot of reasons in the past! I have actually been a fan of good cricket! Today’s match was really special — or should I say, Punjab’s chase was very special! What made it even more special was that the captain led from the front! That no-expression finish by Shreyas Iyer — uff!”

“Has he become MSD in the head, or is it the pain one goes through after single-handedly defeating a team that is full of players who are going to represent the country next month, for which he is not considered worthy enough? I am sure the selection committee has processes — there is a reason they are sitting there and doing that job — but don’t know why my little knowledge about cricket says that he deserves to be in the Indian Cricket Team," he added.

Punjab Kings will take on Rajat Patidar’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 final, set to be played on Tuesday, June 3, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

---

Shreyas Iyer has scored 6 half-centuries in IPL 2025

Shreyas Iyer has displayed exceptional form in the ongoing IPL 2025, scoring 603 runs across 16 innings at a stellar average of 54.81 and a blistering strike rate of 175.80. He has notched six half-centuries, with his highest being an unbeaten 97 against Gujarat Titans (GT).

Across his IPL career, Iyer has featured in 132 matches, accumulating 3,730 runs at an average of 34.53 and a strike rate of 133.40, including 27 half-centuries to his name.