"Dejected" PBKS captain Shreyas points out turning point in IPL final, vows to lift trophy next year

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 4 (ANI): Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer was cut to a "dejected" figure after living through a heartbreak in the final of the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Shreyas witnessed Punjab surrender the IPL title to Bengaluru with a narrow six-run defeat in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night. While Bengaluru experienced bliss, agony, and grief, it engulfed Shreyas and the entire Punjab camp as their wait to end the trophy drought extended for one more year.
"Dejected to be honest, but the way our boys came up to the occasion, it wasn't meant to be, but a lot of credit goes to the support staff, the owners and everyone else who's participated in this," Iyer said in the post-match presentation.
After RCB's exploits in the first innings, a 191-run target separated Punjab from its first IPL title. Punjab managed to keep itself alive for most of the chase, but wickets at regular intervals kept hurting their chances of going past the finish line.
While each RCB bowler chipped in with a valuable contribution, it was experienced Krunal Pandya's heroics that caught Shreyas's attention in the captivating final.
Krunal did what he had done the entire season to the opposition that turned up against him. He made Punjab batters dance to his tunes with his controlled lines and lengths.
The seasoned all-rounder confined their scoring rate in his four-over spell and scythed priceless scalps of Prabhsimran Singh and Josh Inglis while giving away 17 runs at 4.20, the best across both teams.
"Considering the last game, I personally felt that 200 was a par score. They bowled brilliantly, especially Krunal. He carries a lot of experience. I believe that was the turning point. I am very proud of each and every individual who has participated in this team," Shreyas added.
Punjab will bow out of the season with plenty of positives. The young pool of talent, including Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran, dazzled at the crease with their knack for dealing with high-risk, high-reward approaches.
"There are a lot of youngsters who are playing their first season, they've shown a lot of fearlessness. We wouldn't be here without them. Kudos to them. I'm sure when they come next year, they will carry immense experience with them. We can build some tactics and strategies around that so that we can play some decent cricket," he said.
With the season done and dusted, Shreyas sent a bold message of turning their fortune around next season and lifting their maiden IPL title next season.
"We have to be here and win the trophy next year. The way we turned up to each and with a belief of saying we can win this game. Hopefully, we can be here next season and play some good cricket," he concluded. (ANI)