Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Shreyas Iyer's stunning 87* in PBKS vs MI IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 ft. AB de Villiers

The cricket fraternity lauded Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer for his stunning knock against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2025 on Sunday (June 1). Iyer slammed 87* off 41 balls to take PBKS into the final.

Batting first, MI posted a 203-run total, with top contributions from Suryakumar Yadav (44) and Tilak Varma (44). In response, PBKS were in a spot of bother, losing two wickets in the powerplay. Although Josh Inglis (38) made a good start, he was dismissed soon after.

At this point, Iyer and Nehal Wadhera (48) built an 84-run stand to fuel the team’s engine. In the end, Iyer slammed four sixes in the 19th over against Ashwini Kumar to seal the chase for the Kings.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top reactions to Shreyas Iyer’s sublime knock.

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#1 AB de Villiers

Legendary Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter AB de Villiers admitted to being a fan of Shreyas Iyer in a post-match show on JioHotstar. De Villiers felt Iyer played a sensational knock, given it was a must-win match for the side. He said:

“I don't know where to start. I'm obviously a huge fan. But that innings tonight was out of this world. 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."

AB de Villiers also pointed out Shreyas Iyer's terrific shot off Jasprit Bumrah's yorker. He then praised the PBKS skipper for his positioning and crisp shots to eventually help the side to a win.

"That four off Bumrah past the slip cordon — for me, that was the shot of the night. His sixes were a joy to watch. His head was still, his positioning perfect. He's calm, not arrogant - level-headed, and I love that about him. There are many more runs to come from this guy in the future. Shreyas Iyer, I salute you. What a knock," he added.

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#2 Aakash Chopra

Former cricketer Aakash Chopra ranked Shreyas Iyer's knock as one of the top five clutch knocks in IPL playoffs history. Chopra's rationale was that Iyer had to neutralize Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. He said:

“His Qualifier 2 knock is among the top five in the history of the IPL playoffs. I remember Shane Watson scoring a hundred in the final but there was not Jasprit Bumrah in front of him. Iyer has to face Bumrah and he neutralized his threat. Trent Boult’s challenge was also there in front of Iyer." (0:15)

Chopra also noted that Iyer walked the talk after his post-match presentation in the last game, where he expressed his wish to bounce back after a loss against RCB.

“Remember what he said after losing Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. ‘We lost the battle not the war’. He actually proved it by winning a big game for Punjab Kings,” he concluded.

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#3 Virender Sehwag

Former Indian batter Virender Sehwag lauded Shreyas Iyer for maintaining a credible strike rate during a successful run chase. During an interaction on Cricbuzz Live, Sehwag said:

"He played with a strike rate of 212 and remained until the end for the side. Knocks like these are very rare, as many players have done well in the first innings. Rohit Sharma played an 80-odd knock in the last fixture, but doing it during the chase, and helping your side to win the game and remaining unbeaten and playing a strike rate of over 200, which not many can do."

Further, Sehwag felt Iyer looked calm under pressure and praised him and the side for qualifying for the playoffs for the first time after 2014.

"Well done, hats off, Shreyas Iyer. Cool, calm and intense. He showed us the thriller movie tonight. The Punjab fans were waiting to see their team reach the playoffs since 2014, and Shreyas Iyer's side has ended their wait, so hats off," he added.

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#4 Tom Moody

During a post-match analysis on ESPNcricinfo, former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody pointed out Shreyas Iyer's maturity and level-headed mindset to take the side home. He said:

"Remarkable innings, really it was. Not only the batsmanship, but the leadership he showed throughout. He took his time to set himself at the crease and identified key moments in that run chase where he knew he had to into that fifth gear. The real telling over was Reece Topley one, where he smashed three sixes on the trot."

Moody also felt it was the best knock of the season, as it came against a quality attack in a knockout game. He noted:

"It's the best innings of the season. Jitesh Sharma, a week ago, that was a sensational knock for RCB. But, this is a serious innings against a very good attack in a high pressure game."

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#5 Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan expressed his admiration for Shreyas Iyer's heroic knock, which, as per him, suits the right-hander perfectly. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Pathan praised Iyer's captaincy to help his side reach the final. He said:

"Nothing, but huge respect for captain Shreyas Iyer. This knocks perfectly suits him. A lot has happened in Iyer's career until now, but one thing is consistent - his presence in the final, whether it be for Delhi, Kolkata and now he has helped Punjab reach the final after a decade. He has achieved the feat not by his captaincy, but through his sensational knock and the way he finished the game."