Shreyas Iyer’s dreams of winning a T20 trophy were shattered again, his team SoBo Mumbai Falcons failing in the season-opening T20 Mumbai League final just after a week following the IPL 2025 loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The final at the Wankhede Stadium on June 12 witnessed Iyer’s team losing to Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals in a lopsided game.
A Repeat of IPL 2025 Misery
This loss occurred just nine days after Iyer’s Punjab Kings lost the IPL 2025 final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, captained by Rajat Patidar. Even after a good run during the league stages, PBKS were unable to clear the final barrier. Likewise, the Falcons, who performed well in the Mumbai League, faltered in the big match due to pressure.
Falcons Struggle After Choosing to Bat
Having lost the toss, SoBo Mumbai Falcons were invited to bat first. Early losses stunted their momentum, with the opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi making only 7 runs off 12 balls and Ishan Mulchandani also getting out during the powerplay. Captain Iyer batted at No. 3 but could not hold the innings together, making a six and a four before getting out after a ragged start.
The innings came to life due to Mayuresh Tandel’s elegant 50 from 32 balls and Harsh Aghav’s hard-hitting 45 from 28, who put together a fifth-wicket partnership of 85 runs. The Falcons reached a fighting score of 157 runs for their 20 overs.
South Central Dominate the Chase
Mumbai South Central made a flying start with skipper Siddesh Lad and Sahil Bhagwanta Jadhav contributing 32 fast runs within three overs. Although both were dismissed in rapid succession—Siddesh for 15 and Sahil for 22—the platform had been well-established.
Chinmay Sutar spearheaded the pursuit with a calm 53 off 49 balls, while Awais Naushad Khan did the finisher’s job, hitting 38 off 24 deliveries. Their strong partnership helped Mumbai South Central clinch victory with 4 balls remaining, winning the title in 19.2 overs.
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Rohit Sharma Gives Runners-Up Cheque To Shreyas Iyer
Bowler Vaibhav Mali played a key role in restraining the Falcons in the first innings, returning with 2 wickets in his four overs.
India’s ODI captain Rohit Sharma, who was the league’s brand ambassador, handed over the runners-up cheque to visibly upset captain Shreyas Iyer. As much as the loss was heartbreaking, Iyer rallied his support staff, exhorting them to remain proud of their journey and draw lessons from both the mountaintops and the valleys of the season.
