AB de Villiers admired Shreyas Iyer, who scored 87*(41) to help Punjab Kings defeat Mumbai Indians by five wickets in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, advancing to the IPL 2025 final. The South African, who scored a match-winning knock in IPL Qualifier 1 2016, claimed to be a big follower of the star batter.

The JioStar specialist praised Iyer for delivering an exceptional performance under pressure when it counted the most. The former South African batter praised Iyer’s late cut against Jasprit Bumrah, calling it the shot of the night. The former RCB hitter expected more runs from Iyer’s blade.

“I am definitely a tremendous fan. What transpired during the game was incredible, and Shreyas deserves all of the credit. He delivered when it counted the most, even under severe pressure. That four off Bumrah past the slip cordon was the night’s best shot in my opinion. His sixes were pristine with no mishits. He maintains his cool, never becomes haughty or excessively passionate, and is always quite rational. “There are many more runs in him,” De Villiers remarked from the JioHotstar dugout.

Shreyas Iyer knock leads Punjab Kings to IPL final after 11 years

Shreyas Iyer played one of the best knocks in the history of the IPL. The right-handed batter was up against one of the best teams and a very good bowling attack. Chasing 204 against MI was never going to be easy, as the Mumbai-based franchise had never lost a match while defending a total of over 200 before Qualifier 2 of the 18th edition of the league.

During his stay in the middle, the aggressive batter scored an unbeaten 87*(41), which included 5 fours and 8 sixes. Iyer was 19(15) after 12 overs and took off spectacularly from there to help his side win the match. His knock ensured the 2014 finalists made it to their second IPL final after 11 long years. PBKS will face RCB on 3 June in Ahmedabad in search of their first IPL title.