- June 2, 2025
Have you ever had that moment in a T20 match where the momentum swings so drastically that you have to check the scoreboard again? That moment was Shreyas Iyer’s hat-trick of sixes. One minute it looks like the Mumbai Indians may stay in it, and the next – boom, boom, boom – the game tipped, never to come back. In a playoff match in the IPL with the heat of a final exam, Iyer didn’t just pass, and he didn’t just pass with flying colors.
How Iyer Built the Storm Before Blowing Everyone Away
Iyer was particularly under pressure heading to the crease because he was facing a team that had never lost while defending 200 runs. However, he did not follow the conventional T20 playbook and go from ball one. His strike rate at the start was around the 110-120 mark – not easy, albeit none of the guys were. Most captains would have panicked and tried to force a few shots, gifting their wicket to Bumrah or Topley. Iyer assessed.
And that’s why the second half of his innings was so explosive. He created a platform, timed his wait, and then unleashed the monster. His unbeaten 87 off 41 wasn’t just a scorecard number… it was a schooling in timing your assault. Especially under playoff pressure, those innings are worth their weight in gold. The playoffs are a different animal, and Iyer showed he can take it.
Hat-Trick of Sixes: The True Turning Point
Let’s talk about that over. Topley came on, and Iyer went nuts. He hit three, clean sixes, with each one more audacious than the last. Cricket fans love this drama: when one over changes the match. Okay, 20 runs off Bumrah was a shocker. Bolt coming in and dropping Wadhera – that was costly. But the fact that Iyer hit sixes? That closed the door on Mumbai’s comeback.
Dustin put it best: Bumrah gave Punjab momentum with his 20-run over, but Mumbai had almost made their way back to parity. Iyer’s triple whammy broke the neck of the game. In a flash, the required run-rate was no longer threatening. The pressure? Shifted. Punjab was on cruise control, and Shreyas was flooring the pedal.
Mumbai’s Tactics: What Went Wrong?
It’s only fair to say that Mumbai bounced back and performed pretty respectably this season, finishing top four after a poor 2024. However, big games are based on sharp tactics and strategies, and that was where they fell short. Summed it up nicely: they bowled too full, especially to someone in form like Iyer. Short balls and slower balls on that pitch with long boundaries on one side could have been the difference.
Kyle Jamieson, for instance, showcased what a little proper length control can do when he is comparatively economical, only conceding 30 runs in four overs. That point alone demonstrates the tactical gap on display. Mumbai got the length right when it mattered, however, they missed the length.
These are all small battles that provide context and legacy for IPL playoff cricket. Shreyas Iyer smashing three enormous sixes in a row was not just a flashy moment; it was the knife that found a way into Mumbai’s hope. His innings will live in the moment as one of the great IPL playoff innings, given not the runs scored, but rather the timing and method of the runs scored.
Mumbai will talk about missed lengths and dropped catches, but the real story here? A captain who backed up his words with actions, on the biggest stage of the IPL’s playoffs, and turned the match with just three swings of his bat. Cricket fans – do you see this as Shreyas Iyer’s career-defining target innings, or can we look forward to even more daring moments? Let’s chat below.
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