Shreyas Iyer’s team, the SoBo Mumbai Falcons, narrowly missed out on victory in the Mumbai T20 League finale, succumbing to the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. This loss comes hot on the heels of another final defeat for Iyer, who captained Punjab Kings in a recent IPL loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Iyer managed 12 runs from 17 balls as SoBo set a target of 157, having been asked to bat first. The Maratha Royals, with Siddhesh Lad at the helm, chased down the score with four balls remaining and six wickets to spare. Across the tournament, Iyer secured a total of 62 runs in five matches, with his top score being 25.
Reflecting on the final, Iyer stated, “Don’t want to pinpoint any incident – overall, the boys were brilliant with their effort. We just lost one game en route to the final. Just a one-off game, where you can’t single out anyone. It’s basically backstabbing [if you criticise someone], and I don’t enjoy that.”
Acknowledging the disappointment of the loss, he added, “It’s pretty common to feel dejected after a final loss. It must hurt [the players]. But when they come back next year, they’ll have that extra motivation and confidence. They should be proud of their effort.”
Iyer’s leadership track record remains impressive. In recent accomplishments, he led Kolkata Knight Riders to a long-awaited IPL title in 2024 and steered Mumbai to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Additionally, Iyer contributed to Mumbai’s success in the Ranji Trophy and the subsequent Irani Cup, and played a crucial role in India’s win at the Champions Trophy earlier this year.
