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Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
‘Sarpanch sahab' Shreyas Iyer: Man with the golden touch—took three teams to IPL finals but fell short for Punjab Kings
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel 'Jahan matter bade hote hai, wahan sarpanch sahab khade hote hai,' his Punjab Kings (PBKS) deputy Shashank Singh had said after Iyer's 87* in Qualifier 2. And it's true. When the stakes are high, Shreyas Iyer is never far. Statistics are proving his worth, Iyer fell just short to create history to become first captain to lift three consecutive IPL titles with three different Iyer, this marked a second straight IPL final in as many seasons, but this time in red, not the purple of Kolkata Knight Riders or the blue of Delhi Capitals . His career, particularly in knockout matches, has become a pattern of high-stakes performances and leadership under pressure. Across formats and domestic levels, few Indian cricketers have maintained such consistency in record in tournament finals underscores his reputation as a dependable performer. He has featured in 16 finals across T20, List A, and first-class formats, scoring 940 runs in 21 innings at an average of two centuries and seven fifties, Iyer has ended up on the winning side in ten of those T20 finals, he has played four games and scored 121 runs with two not outs, averaging 60.5. He has one half-century in these matches, including a 65* for Delhi Capitals in the 2020 final. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2022 and 2024 finals, he contributed key runs to help Mumbai win both. His unbeaten 87 in Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians is now among the standout individual knocks of IPL white-ball finals, Iyer has amassed 413 runs across 10 games with an average of 51.62. His highest score came in the 2018-19 Deodhar Trophy final, when he made 148 for India B. He played supporting roles in India's 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2017-18 Deodhar Trophy red-ball cricket, Iyer's impact has been no different. His 117 in the 2015-16 Ranji final helped Mumbai clinch the title. In the 2023-24 final, he scored a vital 95 in the second innings. He also contributed in Mumbai's Irani Cup wins and West Zone's Duleep Trophy leadership in 2024 was pivotal for KKR's IPL win. Now with Punjab Kings, a franchise often labelled as underachievers, he has guided them to a final after a decade-long run to this final has not been without setbacks. After being excluded from BCCI's central contracts in 2023-24, Iyer returned with performances in domestic cricket, including wins in the Ranji Trophy, SMAT, and Irani Cup for Mumbai. He carried that form into IPL 2024 and into the current season with also played a key role in India's campaigns in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. In the World Cup, he scored 530 runs at an average of 66.25. He was India's top-scorer in the Champions Trophy with 243 runs, including two fifties. In 2025 so far, he has scored 424 runs in eight ODIs at an average of IPL 2025, Iyer has added over 600 runs, with six half-centuries. His consistency in crunch moments and experience in finals makes him a central figure in Tuesday's much of the focus remains on Virat Kohli and RCB's long wait for a title, Iyer's journey has quietly built a parallel narrative—of redemption, leadership, and big-match temperament.
India Gazette
02-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Icy-cold, brutal: Shreyas showcases shades of prime Virat in Ahmedabad, a look at his knockout stats
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 2 (ANI): With an instant classic knock of 87* against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Qualifier two, Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer continued proving his big game temperament and leadership abilities, ticking two extremely important boxes to succeed in high-competition, high-scrutiny environment of Indian cricket where a massive occasion turns a human into a hero. Over the year, despite some occasional failures, the 30-year-old has delivered several notable contributions in white-ball knockout matches. His remarkable calm, reassuring presence at the crease, ability to take down the ball irrespective of the name throwing it at him has transformed into an exciting leadership prospect for the future. In all of T20 cricket, Iyer has played a total of 17 knockout matches for his domestic side Mumbai and Indian Premier League (IPL) sides Delhi Capitals (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and PBKS. Throughout these, he has made 517 runs at an average of 43.08 with a solid strike rate of 145.22, with four half-centuries, with his latest knock being his best individual score. Coming to the IPL knockouts, Iyer's batting average hits a half-century. In 11 matches and innings, he has scored 303 runs at an average of 50.50 and a healthy strike rate of 142.92. He has hit three half-centuries, with the best score of 87*. Some of Iyer's most notable T20 knockout efforts include: -A knock of 65 in 50 deliveries, during which he formed a 96-run stand with Rishabh Pant in the IPL 2020 final against MI for DC. After a top-order collapse triggered by Trent Boult that left the Capitals rattled at 22/3, he put on a partnership with Pant that took DC to a decent 156/7 in 20 overs, which was chased down by MI with eight balls and five wickets left. -73 off just 44 deliveries against Saurashtra in the 2022 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy semifinals, which helped Mumbai chase down 165 set by their opponents after they found themselves at a tricky 74/3 in 8.3 overs with Ajinkya Rahane, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Prithvi Shaw gone. He delivered another important 26-ball 34 during the final against Himachal Pradesh, coming in at 28/2, helping Mumbai chase down 144 set with three wickets and three balls to go. Iyer helped Mumbai secure their first-ever SMAT title. -A vital 58* in 24 balls, with five fours and four sixes, which helped KKR storm into the finals by chasing down a modest 160 set by Sunrisers Hyderabad, coming in to bat with his team 67/2 in 6.2 overs. Coming to ODI cricket, Iyer has been both the aggressor who puts the pressure on bowlers and someone who calmly soaks in any incoming pressure. In four knockout matches for India in ODIs, he has scored 202 runs at an average of 50.50, with a strike rate of 102.53. His notable efforts include: -A 70-ball 105 consisting of four boundaries and eight sixes against New Zealand in the semifinals of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup at his home stadium of Wankhede. Stitching a 163-run stand with Virat Kohli, who made history with an unprecedented 50th century in ODIs, Iyer also got a slice of history attached to his name as he slammed the fastest-ever century in a World Cup knockout game, coming in 67 balls. He also overtook New Zealand batter Scott Styris' tally of 499 runs in 2007 WC to have the best-ever World Cup by a middle-order batter. Posting 397/4, Iyer and Kohli outbatted a valiant New Zealand, who fell short by 70 runs. His takedown of spin, particularly Rachin Ravindra, made a difference. -With India at 43/2 while chasing a competitive 265 against Australia in semifinal of ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Iyer struck a 91-run stand with Virat, scoring a 62-ball 45 with three fours, taking India more than the halfway mark the target before perishing. -During the title clash of CT 2025 at Dubai, India lost Shubman Gill, Virat and skipper Rohit Sharma after a fine start, suddenly in soup at 122/3 while chasing 252. Iyer's 61-run stand with number five Axar Patel and his neatly-compiled 48 in 62 balls (with two fours and two sixes) laid down the platform for icy finishes from KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, sealing India's second white-ball title in less than an year. In all of his 21 white-ball knockout matches, Iyer has scored 719 at an average of 44.93 in 21 innings, staying unbeaten five times. He has also registered a century and four half-centuries, with the best score of 105. Even during this knockout match on which hinged the PBKS' chances for a final against RCB, Iyer came in with PBKS at 55/2 in 7.5 overs while chasing 204. Taking his time to settle in, scoring just 19 in his first 15 deliveries and helping his side get past 100-run mark, he liberated himself with a hat-trick of sixes against Reece Topley in 13th over. After PBKS lost a well-settled Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh in quick succession, Iyer let loose his arms like never before. Something got into him as a pin-point yorker of death over master Jasprit Bumrah was dispatched for four through short third man by opening the face of his bat, showing shades of 2016 Virat Kohli who attempted the something really similar on an outside off delivery in the blackhole by Aussie James Faulkner during a virtual quarterfinal of T20 WC 2016 at Chandigarh. To top it all off, Iyer launched a furious, but yet a calm, four six assault on Ashwani Kumar in 19th over, finishing the match with one over left. Spitting the chewing gum out of his mouth and not cracking open a smile or letting out a scream, Iyer's icy-cold, blank expression said it all: Job is still half done, war is yet to be won. Pulling off an all-timer knock with great head on his shoulders during a tough run-chase on a big occasion with a similar shot or two, Shreyas served a soft recall to India to an era many attribute as a starting point of their love affair with cricket: 'The Kohli Era' of 2016-2019. Will Iyer win the 'war' as he talked about post the humiliating loss to RCB in Qualifier one and end PBKS' title drought? (ANI)
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Big Match Player: Will RCB skipper Patidar strike a knockout blow after recent dip in form
Mullanpur (Maharashtra) [India], May 29 (ANI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Rajat Patidar will have a lot of eyeballs on him as his team takes to the field for the Qualifier One clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Mullanpur on Thursday, with the winner guaranteed a direct spot in the final. Patidar, known for his striking abilities against spin, has been battling a dip in form after a promising first half. However, the Madhya Pradesh batter possesses a fine record in knockout T20 matches, which makes this match a perfect platform for him to roar back to his best. The 31-year-old, who joined the RCB squad late in 2022 as a replacement for Luvnith Sisodia, rose to stardom with a 49-ball century against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the eliminator, which helped RCB secure a win. In IPL knockouts, Patidar has scored 204 runs in three innings, at an average of 102 and a strike rate of 173, with a century and half-century. This record gets even monstrous when his outings for Madhya Pradesh in knockout matches are considered. He is yet to score below 25 in a T20 knockout match. Including his outings for MP, Patidar has 379 runs in six T20 knockout matches at an average of 126.33, with a century and three half-centuries. His most recent outings were unbeaten 66* (against Delhi) and 81* (against Mumbai) in the semifinal and final of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). Patidar is in desperate need of runs. The first half of IPL 2025 was promising. He scored 209 runs in six innings at an average of 34.83, with a strike rate of 157.14 and two half-centuries to his name. However, in his next six innings, he scored just 62 runs at a shockingly poor average of 10.33, failing to cross 20 even once and best score being 18. This season, Patidar has scored 271 runs at an average of 22.58 and a strike rate of 140.41, with the best score of 64. Will Patidar's big-match temperament help him deliver a thumping comeback at Mullanpur? Squads: Punjab Kings Squad: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Harpreet Brar, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yuzvendra Chahal, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Xavier Bartlett, Praveen Dubey, Azmatullah Omarzai, Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Kuldeep Sen, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Pyla Avinash Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Tim Seifert, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh, Blessing Muzarabani, Tim David, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh. (ANI)
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Urvil announces his arrival in blistering fashion
Days after being snubbed at the IPL auction last year, Urvil Patel slammed the second-fastest hundred in T20s, reaching the landmark in 28 balls for Gujarat against Tripura in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) at Indore. At that time, it seemed the knock might have come a bit late. But four months later, his efforts have finally paid off. After being drafted in by Chennai Super Kings as an injury replacement, the 26-year-old sparkled on IPL debut, smashing an 11-ball 31 against Kolkata Knight Riders in the two-wicket win on Wednesday. His efforts earned him a place in the record books as the Indian with the highest strike rate (281.82, minimum 10 deliveries faced) on debut in the league. Sixes galore Urvil, who hit the maximum number of sixes (29 in six games) in SMAT last year, showed his prowess on the big stage at the Eden Gardens when he flicked the second ball he faced off Vaibhav Arora into the stands. He followed it up with two more against Moeen Ali and one off Harshit Rana as CSK made the first six overs count, a rarity this season. The Gujarat 'keeper-batter has an impressive domestic T20 record, scoring 1193 runs at a healthy strike rate of 172.15 from 48 games. Urvil came into the tournament on the back of a productive domestic season and was the highest run-getter for Gujarat in SMAT (315 runs) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (333). In a year where CSK has been found wanting in the PowerPlay — a major reason for its early elimination — young injury replacements like Urvil, Ayush Mhatre, and Dewald Brevis have reignited hope. Though these are early days, Super Kings have added ammunition to their batting line-up, a good augury for the future.
Mint
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Who is Urvil Patel? MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings signs fastest T20 centurion for rest of IPL 2025
The Chennai Super Kings have roped in Urvil Patel as an injury replacement for 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Vansh Bedi for the rest of the Indian Premier League season, according to reports. Bedi was supposed to make his IPL debut in CSK's previous match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru but a last-minute injury meant he was replaced in the playing XI by Deepak Hooda. Bedi suffered a ligament tear in the left ankle prior to the RCB, and that injury has ruled him out of the rest of the season. Urvil Patel, 26 years old, is an aggressive wicketkeeper batsman who plys his trade for Gujarat in the Indian domestic system. He enjoyed a breakthrough season last year as he holds the record for the fastest Indian centurion in a T20 game. On November 27, 2024, he scored a century of just 28 balls for Gujarat against Tripura in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), the domestic T20 competition in India. His blitzkrieg of an innings featured 12 maximums and seven boundaries, as his 35-ball 113 helped Gujarat chase down 156 in just 10.2 overs. He scored yet another explosive ton days later, on December 5, 2024, smashing a 36-ball century against Uttarakhand. The 25-year-old enjoyed a prolific SMAT campaign as he scored 315 runs in 6 games, with 2 centuries, at an average of more than 78 and a strike-rate of almost 230. Those two centuries has helped him occupy two spots in the list of top five fastest Indian centurions in T20 matches. Patel went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, having registered at a base price of ₹ 30 lakh. The player he replaces, Bedi, was picked up by CSK for ₹ 55 lakh. The 26-year-old has already featured for an IPL franchise, as he was part of the Gujarat Titans side in IPL 2023. Interestingly, GT lost to CSK in the final of that edition in a nail-biting finish, with Ravindra Jadeja hitting a six and a four to win the Chennai side their fifth title. Patel has played 47 T20 games and has scored 1,162 runs, which includes 2 centuries and 4 fifties. Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap. First Published: 5 May 2025, 05:31 PM IST
