Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer reflected on his team’s narrow six-run defeat in the Indian Premier League final on Tuesday. Iyer, who was dismissed for just one run from two balls in Punjab’s unsuccessful chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore, highlighted left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya’s economical spell as the “turning point” of the match. Chasing a target of 191, Punjab Kings started strongly, reaching 52 for one at the end of the powerplay. However, a disciplined spell from Krunal Pandya stifled their progress and increased the required run rate. The experienced spinner finished with figures of two for 17 from his four overs, effectively disrupting Punjab’s momentum. Krunal dismissed the in-form Punjab batsmen Josh Inglis and Nahel Wadhera, playing a crucial role in RCB’s maiden title win and earning himself the Player of the Match award. “Considering the last game, I personally felt that 200 was a par score. They bowled brilliantly, especially Krunal, who carries a lot of experience. I believe that was the turning point,” Iyer commented in the post-match interview. The Punjab skipper expressed his disappointment at losing the final but praised his players and support staff for a successful campaign that revived the franchise’s fortunes. “Dejected, to be honest, but the way our boys rose to the occasion, it wasn’t meant to be, but a lot of credit goes to the support staff, the owners, and everyone else who’s participated in this,” the captain said. “There are a lot of youngsters who are playing their first season, and they’ve shown a lot of fearlessness. We wouldn’t be here without them. Kudos to them. We have to be here and win the trophy next year. The way we turned up to each match was with a belief of saying, ‘We can win this game’. Hopefully, we can be here next season and play some good cricket.” Iyer led from the front, inspiring a remarkable turnaround for Punjab, guiding them to the playoffs for the first time in 11 years and their second IPL final appearance. While the aggressive right-hander was unable to contribute significantly in the final, he finished the season with an impressive 604 runs in 17 innings at a strike rate of 175.07.