- May 30, 2025
Every IPL match has that moment – the one moment where the fans simply think, “Never mind, this is where it all went to hell.” In the thriller IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 match between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), this was very early on. It was all commonplace until PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer, veteran of battles, walked in. Pressure and history on his shoulders – he walked out three balls later. A match that at least appeared to be a physical one turned rapidly into a complete strategic blunder. And it went downhill from there.
The Hazlewood Hoodoo
Let’s call it what it was: a textbook case of history repeating itself. The Aussie quick already dismissed him on multiple occasions before, and if there is one thing we have learned about T20 cricket, it is that bowlers do not forget their favourite victims.
In the existing conditions, with a pitch giving enough moisture for seamers, Hazlewood began with that fourth stump line, which must have annoyed Iyer in teasing his outside edge. That should have been the warning. Three balls later, Iyer played the same shot to the same line and edged to slip. Not just a wicket, the unravelling of Punjab.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, it wasn’t even a wicket-taking ball. Hazlewood didn’t do anything extravagant whatsoever. It was just plain discipline. Iyer’s real error was trying to get on top of the domain too early rather than biding his time and seeing the threat off. Those decisions are significant in a knockout, in careers. And matches!
Collapse in Real Time
If cricket matches were represented by Jenga towers, Iyer’s wicket represented the first block being pulled. Once this block fell, the tower wobbled. PBKS’s innings did not simply stutter; it plummeted. From 28/1 to 78/8, the scoreboard began to resemble a countdown timer.
RCB’s bowling performance, including Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, and Yash Dayal, did their jobs methodically and clinically. But their lives were made easier by the obvious fact that PBK’s middle order did not have a stabilizer. The team was unprepared for Iyer to fall so early. There was panic. There were poor shot selections. There was no resistance whatsoever.
Everybody loves to exalt the bowlers – and indeed they deserved it – but the collapse was just as much mental as it was mechanical. When the captain played a poor shot and was out, the rest of the batting line-up went without a whimper. 102 all out, in a match they must and should win? That’s not pressure, that’s collapse.
Leadership or Liability?
Now, let’s have a chat about leadership. A captain has to understand the game almost like a chessboard. The first aspect of this is to understand your bowlers. You need to know who you are and where your strengths and weaknesses lie, so you can play in a way that is best for the team. However, there is a large component of captaincy that is simply staying in the battle. What Iyer has done is not just play a bad shot; he misread the situation.
In a format that can change in seconds, Shreyas Iyer’s decision to go after Hazlewood early was a gamble, and the effort crashed and burned. His wicket was more than just a number on the scorecard; it was the catalyst for PBKS’s complete disintegration and a harsh lesson in situational awareness.
So, here is the big question: Is there any room for patience in T20 cricket, or has aggression taken over as the only currency? We’d love to hear what you think on the topic, because sometimes being conservative is the most audacious move of all.
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