In the first qualifier of the IPL held yesterday, Punjab opted to bat first after losing the toss but suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Bengaluru. They were restricted to just 101 runs in 14.1 overs. In response, Bengaluru chased down the target with ease, losing only 2 wickets in 10 overs.
The loss has dented Punjab’s hopes of reaching the final, while Shreyas Iyer’s Bengaluru side now looks firmly on course for the title.
Punjab’s innings got off to a shaky start as wickets tumbled from the very beginning. Opener Priyansh Arya was dismissed for 7, followed by Prabhsimran Singh, who managed 18. Captain Shreyas Iyer failed to anchor the innings and departed after scoring just 2 runs.
Yash further dismantled the Punjab lineup by removing Nehal Wadhera for 8. A brief resistance came from Marcus Stoinis, who scored 26 off 17 balls, and Azmatullah Omarzai, who chipped in with 18 off 12. Despite their efforts, Punjab could only scrape past the 100-run mark.
Speaking after the match, a disappointed Shreyas Iyer reflected on the team’s performance:
“It was a day to remember… for the wrong reasons. We lost too many wickets too quickly. There’s a lot to reflect on and analyze. Honestly, I have no regrets about the decision to bat first. Our planning was solid off the field, but we failed to execute on it.”
He continued:
“I won’t point fingers at the bowlers. With such a low total, there wasn’t much they could do. The pitch had uneven bounce, something we’ve seen in earlier games here. But as professionals, we can’t make excuses. We have to adapt to the conditions. We may have lost this battle, but the war isn’t over.”