Former India captain and legendary commentator Sunil Gavaskar did not hold back his frustration as Punjab Kings’ batting collapsed spectacularly during Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025. Watching the meltdown live in the commentary box, Gavaskar was visibly irate, describing the performance as “unbelievable” and “suicidal.” Punjab Kings squandered a golden opportunity to book a direct spot in the IPL final, instead handing Royal Challengers Bengaluru an easy win.
Gavaskar was particularly critical of Punjab’s strategy to go on the attack from the very first ball despite early setbacks. The approach backfired badly, with Punjab managing just 101 runs, bowled out in under 15 overs. “This is unbelievable. This is committing suicide, isn’t it?” Gavaskar exclaimed as Marcus Stoinis, who top-scored with a brisk 26 off 17 balls, fell in the 11th over to young leg-spinner Suyash Sharma.
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Punjab’s innings never really got going. The top order crumbled under pressure, and their aggressive mindset turned into recklessness. The RCB bowling unit exploited the situation expertly. Josh Hazlewood (3/21), Yash Dayal (2/26), and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/17) laid the foundation, before Suyash Sharma (3/17) dismantled the middle order.
The collapse began with the dismissal of the in-form Priyansh Arya, who was caught at cover off Yash Dayal after failing to control his drive. Prabhsimran Singh followed soon after, scoring 18 off 10 before a mistimed charge against Bhuvneshwar led to his edge being snaffled.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer, pivotal to PBKS’s success this season, played an ill-advised shot off his third delivery and was caught behind off Hazlewood. The Aussie quick continued his onslaught by removing fellow countryman Josh Inglis with a sharp, rising delivery.
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Though Punjab reached the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, their high-risk strategy in a high-stakes match cost them dearly. They now have one more shot at redemption in Qualifier 2, where they will face the winner of the Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians clash in Ahmedabad on June 1.
