Sachin Tendulkar has lavished praise on Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer after his exceptional fielding effort in the IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, April 16. The former India great was full of admiration for the timing, athleticism and sheer awareness Iyer showed in one of the most talked-about moments of the match.
Fielding at long-off, Iyer produced a stunning relay catch to dismiss Hardik Pandya. He judged the ball perfectly, leapt near the boundary rope, reverse-cupped it in mid-air and then managed to release it cleanly to Xavier Bartlett before landing.
It was a moment of sharp cricketing instinct and top-class body control, leaving Tendulkar visibly impressed. Sharing his reaction on X, Sachin Tendulkar said the catch stood out not just because of the athleticism, but because of the split-second decision-making behind it. He highlighted how Iyer had to read the pace of the shot, judge the trajectory, stay aware of the boundary rope and still complete the relay without stepping over.
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According to Tendulkar, the ability to process all of that in such a short span showed outstanding composure, fitness and cricketing intelligence. He even described it as one of the best catches he has seen live in a stadium.
What made Shreyas Iyer’s catch so special was not just the athleticism, but the awareness behind it.
He had to judge the speed of the ball, the height, where the boundary rope was, how close he was to stepping on it, and get his jump absolutely perfect.
Then, while still in the…
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) April 17, 2026
Iyer’s impact in the match was not limited to the field either. The Punjab Kings skipper followed up his brilliance with a superb batting display, once again leading from the front as PBKS maintained their unbeaten run in IPL 2026.
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The 31-year-old struck a fluent 66 off just 35 balls as Punjab chased down 196 with 21 balls to spare against the Mumbai Indians. It was another authoritative knock from a batter who has been in sparkling form this season. With 203 runs from four innings at a strike-rate of 187.96 and an average close to 68, Iyer has been Punjab Kings’ standout performer so far and one of the biggest reasons behind their strong start.
