A visibly emotional Shreyas Iyer opened up about the heartbreak of losing two major finals within a span of just ten days, calling the experience “backstabbing” as he reflected on SoBo Mumbai Falcons’ defeat in the Mumbai T20 League final.
Iyer’s Falcons went down to the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals by six wickets in a tightly contested summit clash at the Wankhede Stadium on June 12.
For Iyer, who managed just 12 runs from 17 balls in the final, the loss added to the sting of falling short in the IPL 2025 final with Punjab Kings, where they were beaten by Royal Challengers Bengaluru earlier this month.
“It’s pretty hectic (two finals in 10 days). Especially when you lose, it runs in your mind a lot,” Iyer said after the match, as quoted by Cricbuzz. “The way everyone turned up in numbers was outstanding to see. The whole stadium was electrifying. Thank you so much for coming and supporting (to the fans).”
Despite the personal and collective disappointment, Iyer refused to blame any individual players or moments for the outcome.
“Don’t want to pinpoint any particular incident. Overall the boys were brilliant with their efforts. We just lost one game on the way to the final. Just a one-off game where you can’t pinpoint on anyone – it’s basically backstabbing and I don’t enjoy that,” he said.
“We have learnt a lot. Pretty common to feel dejected after losing the final. It must hurt them. When they come back next year they would be having that motivation and confidence. "
He added,"They should be proud of their efforts. They came in here, not too much experience and playing in front of 20,000 people – it’s not easy. I’ve been there, done that. When the nerves get into you, you tend to make mistakes but it teaches you a lot and you come back stronger,”.
Shreyas Iyer's captaincy accolades
The twin heartbreaks stand in sharp contrast to the highs Iyer enjoyed over the past two years. The right-handed batter led Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title in 2024, and also captained Mumbai to a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy win. His domestic accolades include being part of a Ranji Trophy-winning squad and playing a pivotal role in India’s Irani Cup triumph. Earlier this year, he was also part of the Indian team that won the Champions Trophy, adding an international honour to his impressive résumé.
