NEW DELHI: India’s middle-order batter and Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer experienced an emotional moment during the first practice session of the Champions Trophy 2025, where he found himself in tears due to his inability to perform as expected.
Despite coming off a successful series against England, Iyer struggled with his form in the nets, leading to a rare display of vulnerability. This incident marked a significant moment for Iyer, who admitted to rarely crying.
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“Last time I cried was during Champions Trophy, first practice session. Like literally crying, crying. Because I batted in the nets, and it didn’t go well. I was so angry with myself that I started crying. And I was also shocked at the fact that I don’t cry that easily,” Shreyas Iyer said on Punjab Kings’ show.
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However, his resilience and ability to quickly understand the playing conditions paid off, as he became a crucial player for India throughout the Champions Trophy. His contribution was particularly notable in the finals, where he scored 48 runs off 62 balls, helping his team in the middle overs.
Under Iyer’s captaincy, Punjab Kings suffered a heavy 50-run defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur, as their IPL 2025 campaign tasted its first defeat.
Chasing a daunting 206, PBKS faltered early with both openers, including captain Shreyas Iyer, dismissed inside the powerplay by a fiery Jofra Archer.
Archer finished with 3/25, setting the tone for Rajasthan’s commanding bowling performance.
Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal starred with the bat, scoring a fluent 67 off 45 balls, supported by Sanju Samson (38) and a late flourish from Riyan Parag (43 not out). Their efforts propelled RR to a formidable 205/4. Despite some resistance in the middle order, PBKS couldn’t recover from early blows and ended at 155/9.
The loss raises concerns for Punjab, particularly around their top-order fragility and captain Iyer’s underwhelming form, while Rajasthan Royals regained much-needed momentum and a healthy net run rate boost with the victory.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
