PBKS Vs RCB, IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer Praises ‘Fearlessness’ Of Young Team Despite Final Defeat

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer praised his team's fearless approach, despite finishing as runners-up in the Indian Premier League. The Kings fell short in Tuesday's final, losing by six runs to Royal Challengers Bangalore, who ended their 18-year wait for a maiden IPL title.

With both teams vying for their first-ever triumph, Punjab's chase faltered in the second innings, leaving them just six runs short of their target of 191.

After finishing top of the table in the league stage, Punjab entered the play-offs full of confidence, but a heavy defeat to RCB in the first qualifier sent them into a do-or-die match against the Mumbai Indians.

Shreyas led his side to an emphatic win over Mumbai, inspiring hopes of a maiden IPL title for the franchise, but it was not to be.

"We're dejected, obviously, but the way our team came up to the occasion - a lot of credit goes to the management and each and every player," the skipper said.

"Considering the last game we played here [against Mumbai], I felt 200 was par score, personally.

"But [RCB] bowled excellently. Krunal [Pandya] was phenomenal, he used his experience. That was the turning point."

Pandya's spell of 2-17 was crucial as it halted an in-form Josh Inglis, who looked to be steering the chase in Punjab's favour.

Ultimately, the scoreboard pressure and quick wickets proved to be Punjab's undoing, with RCB's target of 191 just narrowly out of reach.

Despite the setback, Shreyas was quick to acknowledge the contributions of Punjab's young players, who had a standout season.

Punjab played this season with a bold approach, opting to feature four uncapped Indian batters in their line-up, though it paid dividends across the season.

Priyansh Arya (475 runs), Prabhsimran Singh (549), Nehal Wadhera (369), and Shashank Singh (350) all impressed, alongside Shreyas' own 604-run tally.

"I'm proud of each individual in our team," he added. "A lot of youngsters played their first season. Their fearlessness was phenomenal, but the job is still half-done. We have to win it next year.

"The way we turned up to every game was a positive. They've gained a lot of experience, and we can build on that next year."

There is certainly optimism as Shreyas has led the Kings to just their third-ever play-off appearance in IPL history, and only their second-ever final, though they have failed to claim the showpiece on both occasions.