Iyer’s mantra: Stay calm, win big on the biggest stage

In the cauldron of knockout pressure, Shreyas Iyer walked out like a man on a quiet stroll; calm, composed, and commanding.

With Punjab Kings chasing 204 to seal a place in the IPL 2025 final, Iyer delivered a masterclass in pressure batting, finishing unbeaten on 87 off just 41 balls as his side toppled Mumbai Indians by five wickets in a rain-hit Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad.

"I love such big occasions," Iyer said at the post-match presentation, having led his team into their first final in 11 years. "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."

On the night, his mantra manifested perfectly.

Facing a high-octane Mumbai bowling unit and a daunting required rate, Iyer thrived in the pressure. Punjab needed 31 off the last three overs when MI captain Hardik Pandya threw the ball to Jasprit Bumrah, the world's premier death bowler, in a bid to pull off one final twist.

Bumrah responded with a toe-crushing 140-kph yorker — the kind that ends most innings. But Iyer, unflustered, turned it into four with a deft last-second slice past short third man, a shot that left even the great AB de Villiers awestruck.

"That's the shot of the IPL for me," de Villiers said on JioCinema. "That's hitting the middle-stump – the perfect yorker. That's literally breaking the toe of the bat. You can't get that away. That's maybe breaking my stumps if I'm facing it. He gets a four off that and puts the pressure straight back on MI against the best bowler in the world. Just incredible batting – pure, brute force and strength. What a fantastic player!"

From there, Iyer only accelerated, smashing five fours and eight sixes in an innings that showcased both timing and temperament. He fittingly sealed the match with a towering six, guiding Punjab into a final showdown with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, to be played at the same venue — the Narendra Modi Stadium — on Tuesday.

"I don't know where to start. I'm obviously a huge fan," de Villiers continued. "But that innings tonight was out of this world. He deserves every bit of the praise coming his way. Under immense pressure, knowing it was do-or-die, with the odds stacked against him – he stood tall. His sixes were a joy to watch. His head was still, his positioning perfect. He's calm, not arrogant – level-headed, and I love that about him.

"There are many more runs to come from this guy in the future. Shreyas Iyer, I salute you. What a knock."

The lights were brightest. The stakes were highest. And yet, Shreyas Iyer was the calmest man in the storm — proving once again, that the bigger the occasion, the calmer the man.