Before they crossed paths as captains in IPL 2025 Final, Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar had already shared a high-stakes showdown in domestic cricket. It came during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 Final, where Iyer led Mumbai and Patidar captained Madhya Pradesh. The outcome Shreyas Iyer came out on top, guiding Mumbai to a convincing five-wicket win at the business end of India’s premier T20 tournament.Batting first, Madhya Pradesh posted 174 for 8 in 20 overs, a competitive score on paper. Patidar led from the front with a blistering 61 not out off 30 balls, striking six fours and two sixes. His late flourish lifted MP after the top and middle order struggled to convert starts.
Subhranshu Senapati contributed a quickfire 23 off 17, while Harsh Gawli and Harpreet Singh failed to get going. Mumbai’s attack was well led by Tushar Deshpande and Royston Dias, with support from Atharva Ankolekar and Suryansh Shedge, who would later play a key role with the bat too.
In reply, Mumbai chased down the target in 17.5 overs, finishing at 180 for 5. The innings was headlined by an explosive 48 off 35 from Suryakumar Yadav and a game-defining 36 not out off just 15 balls from Suryansh Shedge, who was named Player of the Match for his all-round heroics. Ajinkya Rahane chipped in with a classy 37, reinforcing why he was awarded Player of the Tournament.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?As the two captains prepare to clash once more this time in the IPL 2025 Final between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, memories of that Mushtaq Ali final linger in the backdrop. Back then, Iyer triumphed. Now, Patidar has a chance to even the score on the grandest stage of all.
