In IPL 2026, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer pulled off a spectacular relay catch near the boundary to dismiss MI skipper Hardik Pandya. Xavier Bartlett completed the dismissal, and the effort instantly went viral on social media, with fans and experts hailing it as the “catch of the season” and praising the incredible athletic brilliance on display.
The Punjab Kings’ captain, Shreyas Iyer, pulled off a spectacular effort to dismiss the Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya in the IPL 2026 clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, April 16.
The Mumbai Indians posted a respectable total of 195/6 after being put to bat first by Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer. Quinton de Kock, who replaced injured Rohit Sharma in the playing XI, led the batting with a brilliant knock of 112 off 60 balls, including 8 fours and 7 sixes, at a strike rate of 186.67. Naman Dir played a knock of 50 off 31 balls, including 3 sixes and as many fours, at a strike rate of 161.29.
For PBKS, Arshdeep Singh led the bowling attack with figures of 3/22 at an economy rate of 5.50 in his spell of four overs. Marco Jansen (1/30) and Shashank Singh (1/19) picked up a wicket each, while the rest of the PBKS bowling unit kept things tight to restrict MI under 200 despite a strong batting effort.
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Shreyas Iyer’s Stunning Effort Goes Viral
As the Mumbai Indians posted a solid total on the board despite only contributions by Quinton de Kock and Naman Dir, what caught the attention of the spectators at the Wankhede Stadium was Shreyas Iyer’s sensational fielding effort to dismiss Hardik Pandya.
The dismissal took place in the 18th over of MI’s batting when Hardik attempted a big shot, but f Marco Jansen, but mistimed it towards the deep field, where Shreyas was stationed. The PBKS captain timed his jump to perfection and produced a sensational relay-style catch, first catching the ball mid-air before flicking it back before crossing the boundary.
Xavier Bartlett, who happened to be stationed just inside the boundary rope, completed the catch cleanly to finish off a sensational relay effort and dismiss Hardik Pandya for 14.
Shreyas’ sensational fielding effort took place near the MI’s dugout, where Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma were completely stunned by the athletic brilliance on display. The PBKS’ skipper’s blinder left the Wankhede crowd in awe as the stadium erupted in loud cheers, while clips of the relay catch instantly went viral across social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter).
‘The Catch of the Season’
Shreyas Iyer’s sensational fielding effort to dismiss Hardik Pandya became one of the talking points from the first innings, with fans and cricket enthusiasts on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), flooding timelines with reactions praising the relay catch and hailing the Punjab Kings captain for pulling off one of the most athletic moments of the IPL 2026 season so far.
Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts called Shreyas Iyer’s effort ‘spectacular’, ‘unbelievable’, and ‘catch of the season’, while praising his athleticism and commitment despite injury setbacks. Many highlighted the catch as ‘illegal’ and ‘unreal’, with others highlighting his core strength and consistency in comebacks.
Others pointed out the stunned reactions from Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma, which perfectly summed up the magnitude of the moment.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Kings are aiming to continue their unbeaten run, while the Mumbai Indians are eyeing a comeback after three successive defeats, which have currently placed them at the ninth spot on the points table.
