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"He Should Have Slapped Me": Shashank Defends Shreyas Iyer For Shouting At Him In Qualifier 2

Abhinav Tyagi

Shashank Singh talks about Shreyas Iyer - (Source : @Johns/X.com)Shashank Singh talks about Shreyas Iyer - (Source : @Johns/X.com)

Punjab Kings had a sublime journey in IPL 2025 as the Preity Zinta-owned side reached the finals for the first time in 11 years. Captain Shreyas Iyer had a big role in the Kings' success as the skipper led from the front and earned a lot of appreciation for his style despite losing the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Why Did Iyer Slam Shashank?

Iyer maintained a calm and composed demeanour throughout the tournament, but lost his cool once. During PBKS' qualifier 2 match against MI, Shreyas played a brilliant knock of unbeaten 87, which helped Punjab chase down 204. However, the Kings were troubled by a few late wickets, but Shashank Singh hogged the internet after he was caught napping in the middle of the crease and was run out at a crucial juncture.

Shashank Defends Iyer's Action

Iyer was not happy with the effort and shouted at Singh during the post-match handshake ritual, where he also refused to shake hands with Shashank. 

Shreyas received flak for the treatment, but in the latest events, Shashank, speaking with Devendra Pandey of Indian Express, backed the PBKS captain's decision and also added that he deserved to get a slap. 

"I deserve it, Iyer should have slapped me, my father didn’t speak to me till the finals. I was casual, I was walking on the beach not even in the garden. It was a crucial time, Shreyas was clear that I didn’t expect this from you but later he took me out for dinner," remarked Shashank speaking to Devendra Pandey.

Shashank Singh A Quick Learner from His Mistakes

Shashank was at the receiving during qualifier 2 but was Punjab Kings' best batter in the final, where he smashed an unbeaten 61 (30) and fell short of just a big hit to help Punjab lift their maiden trophy. 

Overall, Singh had a great tournament as he amassed 350 runs in 14 innings, averaging 50. He also batted with a 153.51 strike-rate, which includes three fifty-plus totals in this edition.