Sunil Gavaskar Lauds Shreyas Iyer's Smart Captaincy After Rohit Sharma Falls in IPL 2025 Qualifier 2

In a crucial moment during Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2025 between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on Shreyas Iyer for his sharp tactical move that led to the dismissal of Rohit Sharma. The former India captain was visibly impressed in the commentary box after Marcus Stoinis got Rohit out in the third over, crediting Iyer's spot-on field placement. Punjab Kings had won the toss and opted to bowl first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, setting the stage for a high-voltage knockout match.

Mumbai Indians started cautiously after being put in to bat, but Rohit Sharma's early departure in the third over tilted the momentum slightly in Punjab's favour. The MI skipper attempted to take on Stoinis by going aerial over deep square leg, but mistimed the shot and was caught right at the boundary. The fielder barely had to move, a testament to the precision in field placement from Shreyas Iyer.

“Big boundary that and unless you middle it, you are going to get into trouble, Let's have a look at whether he middled it or not. Maybe, toe end of the bat, but you are always taking a chance and the fielder did not have to move an inch here or there. Brilliant captaincy. Brilliant field placing by Shreyas Iyer," said Gavaskar on air. 

Punjab Kings made a key change going into this game, bringing back Yuzvendra Chahal into the XI. Mumbai, on the other hand, had to make a forced change, with Reece Topley replacing Richard Gleeson, who was ruled out due to a niggle. Rain had delayed the start of the match briefly, but luckily no overs were lost and play resumed on time.

With both teams eyeing a spot in the final, Punjab Kings entered the contest with a slight edge, though MI had the confidence of a dominant win over Gujarat Titans in the previous game. The winner of this clash will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final on June 3, at the same venue. RCB had already sealed their place after defeating Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1.

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Topics mentioned in this article

Shreyas Iyer Rohit Sharma Sunil Gavaskar IPL 2025 Cricket