Shreyas Iyer on Qualifier 1 loss to RCB: “One battle down, the war continues”

Shreyas Iyer added that it was always difficult to defend such a low total, particularly when facing a potent batting lineup. He also mentioned that, given the bounce on the pitch, his team needed to be more flexible.

After defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) by eight wickets in Qualifier 1 at New Chandigarh, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) advanced to their first Indian Premier League (IPL) final since 2016. The host team was hustled out for just 101 after being put on to bat first.

RCB’s choice to bowl first paid off handsomely as their bowlers, Suyash Sharma, Yash Dayal, and Josh Hazlewood, destroyed PBKS’ middle and top order. In the powerplay, Punjab lost four wickets, and the remaining six quickly had to retreat. With a total of 101, PBKS tied the Lucknow Super Giants’ IPL 2023 total as the joint-lowest in IPL playoff history.

The RCB batter made the pursuit appear easy, even though the movement and bounce made batting difficult. RCB reached the mark with 60 balls remained, the largest margin in playoff chases in terms of balls remaining, after Salt hit an undefeated 56 off just 27. Rajat Patidar completed it with a slog-sweep six. Shreyas Iyer, the captain of PBKS, was candid in his post-match analysis following the humiliating loss. He acknowledged the batting unit’s subpar day on the pitch after considering what went wrong.

“It was an unforgettable day, but I had to start over. Many of our wickets were lost (in the first innings). There’s a lot to review and research. To be honest, I don’t question my choices. I believe that everything of the planning we performed, both on and off the ground, was done correctly.

We simply couldn’t do it on the pitch’, Shreyas Iyer stated in the interview conducted after the game.

Since it was a low total to defend, it is impossible to hold the bowlers accountable. We needed to improve our batting, particularly on this surface. There has been some fluctuating bounce in every game we have played here. Since we are professionals at the end of the day and must act appropriately in each situation, we are unable to provide such justifications. He went on, “We have lost the battle, but not the war.

Dayal contributed two wickets, while Hazlewood and Suyash each claimed three. Salt snatched the game away from Punjab with the bat, even if they lost Virat Kohli early. When Punjab plays the winners of the Eliminator match (Gujarat Titans vs. Mumbai Indians) on June 1, they have another chance to go to the top match, while RCB will play the finals.