After Punjab Kings’ defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL Match 37, Shreyas Iyer’s sister, Shresta Iyer, became an unexpected target of online trolling. The backlash followed Iyer’s underwhelming performance with the bat, which contributed to PBKS falling short in the return fixture against RCB.
Family Support Turns Into Unwarranted Blame
The match saw Punjab collapse under pressure, giving RCB a convincing victory. This outcome opened the floodgates for online criticism—some of it bizarrely directed at Iyer’s family.
Shresta, unhappy with the negativity, took to Instagram to set the record straight.
“It’s honestly disappointing to see people stoop so low as to blame the family for simply showing up to support. Whether we’re physically present or cheering from afar, our support for the team is unwavering. To those pointing fingers at me, your shallow mindset is not only laughable, it’s embarrassing. I’ve been there for countless matches, India’s and others and most of them ended in victory. But I guess when you’re busy trolling from behind a screen, facts don’t matter,” she wrote.
Shreyas Iyer’s sister, Shresta Iyer, shared an Instagram story about being abused by Virat Kohli fans. Shubman Gill’s sister, Rohit Sharma’s daughter, and KL Rahul’s wife were also abused by Virat Kohli fans, Shreyas Iyer’s sister has now faced the same. Shameful stuffs pic.twitter.com/8kLtk7hTcA
— ? (@SG77Era) April 20, 2025
Her response underlined the absurdity of holding a player’s family accountable for a team’s loss, something that’s unfortunately not uncommon in the world of sports fandom.
RCB Bounces Back with Dominant Chase
On the field, it was a game to remember for RCB. Coming off a loss to the same opponents just days earlier, the Bengaluru side regrouped swiftly to deliver a statement win.
Led by a composed and clinical partnership between Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli, RCB chased down 158 in just 18.5 overs, securing a seven-wicket victory.
Padikkal was in sublime touch, scoring 61 off just 35 deliveries. It marked his first IPL fifty in 22 innings. Kohli, ever the reliable anchor, stayed unbeaten on 73 off 54 balls.
The pair added 103 runs in 11.3 overs, executing risk-free, textbook cricket that made the chase look routine.
Padikkal Shines as Kohli Guides with Finesse
Kohli set the tone early with a crisp pull shot off Arshdeep Singh and followed it up with a trademark drive down the ground off Xavier Bartlett.
Padikkal matched his skipper stroke for stroke, mixing boundaries and sixes with finesse. His footwork against spinners stood out, often using the crease to find space and timing.
Their running between the wickets was equally sharp—on one occasion, a hustled four-run sprint showed the duo’s intent.
Padikkal’s knock came to an end when he fell trying to hit his fifth six off Harpreet Brar. But by then, the match had already tilted decisively in RCB’s favor.
Kohli brought up his half-century off 42 balls and then unleashed a few dazzling shots, including a boundary behind point off Arshdeep and a majestic inside-out six off Yuzvendra Chahal.
RCB’s clinical performance not only avenged their previous defeat but also solidified their position in the top four of the points table.