pic credit: IPL
Former Australian cricketer and seasoned commentator Tom Moody didn’t hold back in his assessment of Shreyas Iyer’s brief and disappointing innings against Josh Hazlewood during Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2025 between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Moody, speaking on ESPNcricinfo, felt Iyer completely misjudged both the match situation and his personal history with Hazlewood.
“The first ball he played and missed, the perfect line that you’d expect Hazlewood to bowl. He sort of played at it, but didn’t really want to play at it. And then, that third ball he got out. To me, he totally misread the game situation and his own situation. Yes, he would be aware that Hazlewood has had him a few times in the past. He would know the exact numbers.” Moody said.
Hazlewood has now dismissed Iyer four times in T20s, conceding just 22 deliveries in total. That trend continued as Iyer fell for just 2 runs off 3 balls, attempting a cross-batted swipe to a good-length delivery. The thick edge flew to Jitesh Sharma, who completed a comfortable catch.
Moody, who once coached the Punjab Kings from 2008 to 2010, felt Iyer should’ve played smarter.
“At times, you need to put your ego in your pocket and just move forward. To me that was the perfect example of not reading the situation, trying to overcome something that has been a darkness in the past instead of just swallowing your pride and just moving on by just accumulating. You only had to see Hazlewood out. It was a simple thing, see him out and look to dissect the rest of their attack,” he added.
With that loss, Punjab Kings now have one more shot, they’ll face the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2, set to take place in Ahmedabad on Sunday, June 1. After a heavy eight-wicket defeat to RCB on May 29, they’ll be eager to bounce back strong.
