Punjab Kings had an awful day on the field yesterday as Royal Challengers Bengaluru easily won Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025. Captain Shreyas Iyer was a big disappointment for PBKS, getting out early to Josh Hazlewood in this all-important match. RCB won the toss and elected to bowl first, setting the tone for a good start by dismissing Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh in quick succession with Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar doing the bowling.
Shreyas Iyer came in at 4 with PBKS hoping for a rescue. But he failed for the second time in this crucial match, being Hazlewood’s first wicket in the match. The gates were thrown open for the Kings, and the wickets fell steadily as they were all out for a paltry 101.
Former SRH coach Tom Moody, right after the match, suggested that Iyer really ought to have comprehended the game situation better. He said that Iyer needed to bide his time against Hazlewood and play more carefully, which could have served the Punjab Kings well.
Read Also:- Highest Score in IPL All Time
Moody nailed it: “He totally misread the game situation and his own situation. He knows Hazlewood has had his number a few times. Sometimes you’ve got to put your ego aside and play smart.” Hazlewood has always really been one player against whom Iyer hasn’t done well; the stats say that Hazlewood has dismissed Iyer four times in T20s, with Iyer managing just 11 runs off 22 balls.
Moody clearly has a point because Iyer playing with some caution would have at least interrupted RCB’s middle overs.
