Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer finally broke his silence regarding the injury of Lockie Ferguson after their disastrous eight-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2025. The match, played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, saw Ferguson leave mid-over during his sixth delivery. After consulting the physios, he had to walk off the field, leaving Marcus Stoinis to bowl the remaining over.
In the post-match presentation, Iyer addressed the team’s performance and said Ferguson’s absence was a huge blow for PBKS. Known for consistently bowling at 140 km/h and taking crucial wickets, Ferguson’s injury had a major impact, according to Iyer. However, he quickly added that this couldn’t be used as an excuse for their heavy defeat.
“It was a big impact. He is someone who can get you instant wickets. That was a big blow. He is someone who clicks 140 at all times and niggles happen. Other bowlers are also there to win matches. So no excuses,”
Despite Ferguson’s absence, Iyer didn’t shy away from discussing the other challenges his team faced. The captain also pointed out the dew factor that made life difficult for the bowlers. Yet, he had words of praise for SRH’s opener Abhishek Sharma, whose stunning century was pivotal to the win. Iyer confessed that his side missed a few key opportunities, including two important catches that could have shifted the momentum of the game.
“We could have taken two exceptional catches. He [Abhisek] was a bit lucky as well even though he played an exceptional knock. Catches win you matches and we fell short there. We didn’t bowl well but we have to go back to the drawing board. The way he smashed the ball and the opening partnership was great. Over here, the over rotation would have been better from my side,”
Following the heavy defeat, PBKS now sits at sixth in the points table. Iyer’s men will next face the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), on April 15 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Punjab.
