Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Jun 2: As anticipation builds for the IPL final between Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer, and Royal Challengers Bangalore, renowned filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli expressed his emotional dilemma on Monday, admitting that no matter the outcome, it would be a heartbreak for him.

Rajamouli, sharing his thoughts on X, praised Iyer’s remarkable resilience, noting how despite consistently leading his teams to success, he had often found himself dropped. “Iyer guiding Bumrah’s and Boult’s yorkers to the third man boundary… Exquisite,” Rajamouli wrote. “This man leads Delhi to a final… and is dropped… Leads Kolkata to a trophy… dropped… Leads a young Punjab to the finals after 11 years. He deserves this year’s trophy too…”

At the same time, Rajamouli acknowledged Virat Kohli’s relentless brilliance. “On the other hand, it is Kohli… who is performing year on year… compiling thousands of runs. The final frontier for him… He deserves it too. Whatever the result… it’s going to be a heartbreak,” he added.

Rajamouli’s sentiment was echoed by Tamil director and writer Rathna Kumar, who also lauded Iyer’s leadership. Sharing a video clip highlighting Iyer’s achievement of taking a relatively inexperienced Punjab Kings squad — featuring six uncapped Indian players — to the IPL final, Rathna Kumar wrote, “Whattteee Bloody Run chase. Probably the most deserving team to win the trophy this year. Shreyas Iyer is easily the best captain and finisher in the current Indian cricket team. Be very scared.”

As fans gear up for the thrilling final, it’s clear that both captains — Shreyas Iyer, with his remarkable captaincy, and Virat Kohli, with his unmatched consistency — have captured the hearts of cricket enthusiasts, leaving even a filmmaker like Rajamouli torn between the two.