Shreyas Iyer promises IPL 2026 trophy to Preity Zinta after heartbreak

Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer was absolutely dejected after the defeat of his team in the final of IPL 2025 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

However, Shreyas Iyer made sure to deliver a strong statement even in the defeat and charged his team up, saying that the "job is still half done" and that they will be aiming to win the title next year.

Punjab Kings suffer massive heartbreak

Things started pretty well for the Punjab Kings in the summit clash as they won the toss and opted to bowl first. Kyle Jamieson got an early breakthrough for his team by dismissing Phil Salt in the second over.

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From thereon, the Punjab Kings picked up the wickets at regular intervals and restricted the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 190/9 in their 20 overs.

Arshdeep Singh and Kyle Jamieson emerged as top performers in the innings with three wickets each under their belt, while Azmatullah Omarzai, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up one wicket each.

Chasing the target, the young openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya took the team off to a good start with a 43-run stand. However, after their dismissal, things went downhill for PBKS.

Shreyas Iyer fell for 1, Josh Inglis got out for 39, and Nehal Wadhera was dismissed for 15. Shashank Singh was the lone warrior for his team as he blasted an unbeaten 30-ball 61 but couldn't take his team past the finish line and suffered a 6-run loss.

The way the owners supported us was also amazing - Shreyas Iyer

During the post-match presentation ceremony, Shreyas Iyer credited the players, the team management, and the owners for Punjab Kings' IPL 2025 success. He said:

"Dejected to be honest but the way our boys came up to the occasion, the way we cherished, it wasn't immaculate but lot of credit goes to the management, the support staff and each and every person who has participated and contributed. The way the owners supported us was also amazing."

Shreyas Iyer added that they reduced Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a gettable score, but Krunal Pandya's spell turned out to be a game-changer. He said:

"Considering the last game against MI, I personally felt that 200 was a par score. They bowled brilliantly, especially Krunal, he carries a lot of experience, he has done it over a period of time. I believe that was the turning point. I am very proud of each and every individual who has participated in this team. There are a lot of youngsters who are playing their first season. The fearless nature that they showed was simply phenomenal."

Also Read: WTC 2023-25 Team of the Tournament announced by Cricket Australia; Jasprit Bumrah, India youngster picked

The job is still half done, we have to be here and win the trophy next year - Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer further lauded everyone involved with the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League 2025 and promised the team owners an IPL trophy next season. He said:

"I keep on saying the same thing but hats off to every individual who has been here and who has contributed, the support staff, the management. We wouldn’t be here without them, kudos to them. The job is still half done, we have to be here and win the trophy next year."

In the end, Shreyas Iyer spoke about the positives from their IPL 18 campaign and elaborated:

"Positives, definitely the way we turned up and every individual stepping up and saying that he can win the match, there are so many youngsters in the team, I'm sure they've gained a lot of experience from these matches. I'm sure when they come next year they will carry immense experience with them. We can build some tactics and strategies around that so that we can play some decent cricket."