Shreyas Iyer’s Mumbai Falcons fall short again: 62 runs in five innings

Shreyas Iyer’s SoBo Mumbai Falcons suffered a narrow defeat in the Mumbai T20 League final, falling short by five wickets against the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals at Wankhede Stadium.

Electing to bat first, the Falcons posted a modest total of 157 for 4 in 20 overs, with Iyer himself contributing a disappointing 12 runs off 17 balls. The team struggled to build momentum, with Iyer ending the tournament with a total of 62 runs in five innings, his highest score being just 25.

The Royals, despite early setbacks at 60/3 and later 72/4 after Iyer’s dismissal in the 12th over, managed to chase down the target with four balls to spare. Key performances from Chinmay Sutar, who scored a half-century, and Awais Naushad, who struck a quick-fire 38 off 24 balls, proved decisive.

Naushad and Sutar shared a crucial 67-run partnership for the fourth wicket, steering the Royals to victory.

This defeat marks back-to-back losses for Iyer as captain in T20 finals, following a recent loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Reflecting on the loss, it was noted, "It must hurt the players. But when they come back next year, they'll have that extra motivation and confidence."

The Mumbai Falcons will look to regroup and improve their performance in future tournaments after falling short in this low-scoring final.

Shreyas Iyer’s SoBo Mumbai Falcons lost the Mumbai T20 League final to Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals at Wankhede Stadium, scoring just 157. Iyer managed 62 runs in five innings, continuing a poor run as captain with back-to-back T20 final defeats.