Shreyas Iyer is making a strong mark as a captain in the IPL. After leading Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in 2024, he took Punjab Kings to the final in IPL 2025 which will be their first final in 11 years. However, Qualifier 2 wasn’t an easy game for PBKS. They had to chase 203 runs against Mumbai Indians who had never previously allowed a 200+ target to be chased down.
Shreyas Iyer lashes out at Shashank Singh
A moment in the match nearly pushed PBKS out of the match which was the run-out of Shashank Singh. On the fourth ball of the 17th over, Shashank drove the ball to mid-on and both batters, Shreyas and Shashank set off for a run. But Shashank, running to the danger end, showed a sloppy approach.
In that moment, Hardik Pandya collected the ball and produced a direct hit at the stumps, resulting in Shashank’s dismissal. A dive could have saved him, but Shashank clearly wasn’t expecting a direct hit.
This frustrated captain Shreyas Iyer, who despite the team winning the match, visibly lashed out at Shashank Singh. During the post-match handshakes, the Punjab Kings skipper was seen refusing to shake Shashank’s hand and was caught yelling at him.
Lip-readers claim he said, “Muh mat lagna mere, m******d.”* The video of the incident has since gone viral on social media. While Shreyas Iyer is being praised for his captaincy, he is also facing criticism for his behavior towards Shashank Singh.
"Shreyas Iyer is right in what he said to Shashank – such lazy running between the wickets could have cost PBKS the match." pic.twitter.com/CiWvCyj6Mg
— Kevin (कैवीन) 𝕏 (@kevinshah1307) June 2, 2025
After Shashank Singh’s run-out, Punjab Kings were in a tight spot. They needed 31 runs from the final 3 overs. But credit goes to skipper Shreyas Iyer, who took charge in the 19th over by targeting Ashwani Kumar. He smashed 26 runs in that over and finished the match even before 20th over. The Mumbai-born batter remained unbeaten on 87 and was named Player of the Match.
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Now, the Preity Zinta-owned team will clash with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the title game on June 3. One of the two sides will lift their maiden IPL trophy. Speaking of Shreyas Iyer, if Punjab Kings manage to win, he will lift the trophy as captain for the second consecutive season and become the first captain to lead two different IPL franchises to title glory.