Punjab Kings will next play Qualifier 2 on June 1, whereas RCB have reached the IPL 2025 final.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer said it wasn’t a day to forget for his team following their eight-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 in Mullanpur on Thursday.
Shreyas Iyer, however, stressed that his team needs to improve in terms of their batting on such a wicket. There was a lot of grass on the pitch on Thursday, which would have helped the batters. However, Punjab Kings, who were asked to bat first, ended up being bowled out for 101 in 14.1 overs.
“Not a day to forget, but got to go back to the drawing board. We lost a lot of wickets (in the first innings.) There’s a lot to go back and study on. I am not doubting on my decisions to be honest. Whatever we did in terms of planning, outside of the ground whatever (planning) we did, I think it was on point. Just that we couldn’t execute it on the field,” Shreyas Iyer said after the match.
“Can’t even blame the bowlers, as it was a low total to defend. We got to work on our batting especially on this wicket,” he added.
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Shreyas Iyer believes that all is not lost despite the defeat to RCB and that there is still a war to be fought for. Punjab Kings will next face either Gujarat Titans (GT) or Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2 on June 1. Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians will face off in the Eliminator in Mullanpur on Friday.
“In all the games we have played here there has been some variable bounce. We can’t give such reasons because we are professionals at the end of the day and we have to bat according to the situation and we have to live up to it. We have lost the battle, but not the war,” the Mumbai-based cricketer stated.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and asked Punjab Kings to bat first. When the two teams faced off in a league stage game in Bengaluru this season, RCB were restricted to 95/9 from 14 overs. The Punjab Kings collapse on Thursday was similar to that.
Marcus Stoinis (26) was the top-scorer for Punjab Kings, whereas Suyash Sharma was the pick of the RCB bowlers with figures of 3/8. In reply, Phil Salt (56*) provided RCB a strong start despite the dismissal of Virat Kohli (12) in the fourth over. Phil Salt and Mayank Agarwal (19) forged a 54-run stand for the second wicket which eventually propelled the Rajat Patidar-led side to a convincing win.
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