Fifth straight defeat stings, said Shreyas Iyer, calling it hard to take. Not quite good enough, his team fell short against Tilak Varma, who stayed calm under pressure. A steady 75 not out guided the Mumbai Indians past the target. They cleared the line by six wickets in a tight IPL 2026 match on Thursday, in the latest cricket news.
“Well, absolutely a tough pill to swallow, but I don't want to pinpoint any situation over here because it was a great game of cricket. Well fought game,” Shreyas Iyer said after the defeat, significantly hurting Punjab’s playoff hopes.
“He Played Amazing”: Shreyas Iyer credits Tilak Varma for match-winning knock
That calm innings by Tilak, Iyer said, it was his steady hand that guided them through the tight run chase.
“He played amazingly, he was selecting his shots pretty well, and he manoeuvred the field nicely, so credit to him,” the Punjab skipper said.
Shreyas Iyer praised Azmatullah Omarzai’s sharp 38 from just 17 deliveries, lifting Punjab when things had barely moved early on.
“Certainly, at a point, we were looking at around 170 to 180, and from there on, he simply changed the momentum towards us. Getting those scoops of sixes, and from 16th or 17th over, from there on, we gained the momentum and getting to 200 was a commendable performance for him,” he added.
Even after the heavy loss, hope stayed alive for Iyer before Punjab’s last couple of matches, one being a crucial match versus Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
“Definitely excited for the next opportunity. It's an afternoon game, and we've got to win two out of two. It's going to be an exciting two games. Can't wait to play them,” he said.
Tilak spoke about staying calm during tense moments at the end of close matches. His recent games for the national team have taught him how to handle pressure better. Instead of rushing, he now picks his moments more wisely. That time on the international stage shaped his approach under stress. Learning came slowly, through real situations rather than practice alone.
“To be honest, I do like to finish games, but having played the WC and some international games, I've come to know how to finish the games,” he said.
He said the pitch felt harder to handle than he’d thought. Bounces came short, skidding through without much lift during play.
“We didn't expect the wicket to be like this. The ball was slow and low, and it wasn't easy to play shots. We saw how PBKS struggled in the first 15 overs, then Azmatullah and Vishnu Vinod took them to a good score.”
Tilak said his idea was clear from the start: push the run-chase close to the end, then go hard in a single over. He wasn’t rushing early, just waiting. That moment came later, when everything lined up. One over had to deliver it all. His focus narrowed there, nowhere else.
“I thought I would take the game deep. I spoke to the coach at the second break; I just needed one big over and I could finish the game,” he said.
That quick burst near the end? Will Jacks made it count, pulling weight when it mattered.
“Will's innings helped finish the game. I just told him to hold shape and wait for the slower one. The altitude here helps the ball fly, and you don't need to blindly slog,” Tilak added.
With Mumbai's captain missing, Jasprit Bumrah stepped in and gave credit to Tilak, also to Shardul Thakur, for handling the heat of a tense match.
“Both teams played good cricket, and we really pulled back well. Holding your length was key. That was the plan, and credit to all bowlers, they kept their nerve. I think Tilak's knock and the way Shardul bowled both deserve equal credit,” Bumrah said.
He laughed, saying he’d finally rounded things off by guiding Mumbai that evening.
“I have captained a Test match, I have captained T20s and now the only game left is ODI cricket, but I don't see that happening,” he quipped.
“Jokes apart, very happy. Had good fun, good weather, great ground so enjoyed my time.”
