Ahmedabad: The Bigger the occasion, the calmer he becomes, is how Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer described his incredible 41-ball-87 that knocked out five-time champions Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League here on Sunday.
Iyer, who led KKR to the IPL title last year, played one of the finest knocks under pressure in a high-stakes knock-out game to chase down a target of 204 in just 19 overs.
Asked about his secret recipe, Iyer replied: “I don’t know to be honest, I love such big occasions. I always say to myself and to my colleagues in the team that the bigger the occasion, the calmer you are, you get the big results,” Iyer said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
With this victory, Punjab Kings made it to their first IPL final since 2014 and will now face Royal Challengers Bengaluru on 3 June. Meanwhile, Iyer became the first captain to lead three different teams to the IPL final – Delhi Capitals (2020), Kolkata Knight Riders (2024), and now Punjab Kings.
“I love such big occasions and I always say to myself and my colleagues that the bigger the occasion, the calmer you are and you’ll get the best results. Today I was focusing a lot on my breathing rather than sweating out a lot out there,” Iyer said after the match.
