After Punjab Kings suffered their fifth straight loss, Shreyas Iyer didn’t sugarcoat it—he called it a “tough pill to swallow.” Let’s be real, Mumbai Indians just outplayed them, especially Tilak Varma. His calm, unbeaten 75 guided Mumbai to a six-wicket win, leaving Punjab’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
“Yeah, it stings, but I’m not here to blame a single moment. It was a proper game of cricket. We fought hard,” Iyer said afterward, frustration obvious but not over the top.
He didn’t hold back with the compliments either. “Tilak was fantastic. Smart shot selection, moved the field around, full credit to him,” Iyer admitted. He also made sure to mention Azmatullah Omarzai’s gutsy 38 off 17 balls, saying that Azmat’s late burst turned things after Punjab struggled early on.
“At one point, we were hoping for 170 or 180, then Azmat took over. Those scooped sixes shifted the momentum. From the 16th or 17th over, the game swung back our way, and finishing at 200 was all down to him,” Iyer said.
Still, Iyer’s not giving up. With two matches left, he’s focused on the future. “I’m pumped for the next one. It’s an afternoon game, and we need to win both. Should be exciting. Can’t wait to get out there again,” he said, already thinking ahead to their clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
On the other side, Player of the Match Tilak Varma credited his recent international experience for helping him finish close games. “Honestly, I love closing games, and playing in the World Cup and some internationals taught me how to get the job done,” he said.
He admitted the pitch was tough—slower and lower than expected. “We didn’t think the wicket would play like this. Shots weren’t easy. You could see PBKS struggled for the first 15 overs, but Azmatullah and Vishnu Vinod took them to a strong total.” Tilak said he made a conscious decision to take the chase deep before pouncing.
“I wanted to take it all the way. At the second break, I spoke to the coach. I knew we just needed one big over and I could finish it.” He also gave a nod to Will Jacks, whose quickfire 25 not out helped seal the win. “Will was great, I told him to keep his shape and wait for the slower ball. Honestly, the altitude helps—no need to slog wildly here.”
Mumbai’s stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah was quick to praise Tilak and Shardul Thakur for their roles in the win. He said, “Both teams played well, but we really pulled things back. Hitting your length mattered, and credit to all our bowlers—they kept cool heads. Tilak’s knock and Shardul’s bowling deserve equal credit. Will Jacks was huge too.”
Bumrah finished with a laugh, joking about his growing leadership resume. “I’ve captained a Test, T20s, now only ODIs left—though I doubt that’ll happen. Jokes aside, I enjoyed it. Great weather, good ground, and a fun night.”
