Aakash Chopra became Shreyas Iyer’s fan after the latter played a magnificent innings against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League 2025. He scored an unbeaten 87 runs to confirm Punjab Kings’ match with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Mumbai had not lost a game after posting 200 runs in 18 years, but Iyer changed history.
He broke the confidence of the rival team by not giving a wicket to Jasprit Bumrah, who conceded 40 runs from his four overs.
Bumrah’s unplayable Yorkers were neutralised, with one going for a boundary, leaving Aakash and Harbhajan Singh stunned. The chase of 204 runs was completed in 19 overs and with five wickets in hand.
Iyer hit 8 sixes and 5 fours, and his runs came at a strike rate above 200. “Cometh the hour, cometh the Shreyas Iyer,” Aakash Chopra 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 is front of him. Iyer has to face Bumrah and he neutralized his threat. Trent Boult’s challenge was also there in front of Iyer,” he added.
“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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