In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment at the Wankhede, Shreyas Iyer produced a stunning relay catch to send Hardik Pandya back during Punjab Kings' clash against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026.
Stationed at long-on in the 18th over, Iyer sprinted across, leapt full stretch to grab a mistimed hit, and flicked the ball back mid-air just before crossing the ropes. Xavier Bartlett completed the effort, but it was Iyer's athleticism and awareness that defined the dismissal.
The wicket halted Mumbai's late surge, with Pandya looking set to accelerate alongside a well-set Quinton de Kock.
Watch one of the best catches of IPL 2026 so far here:
SHREYAS IYER, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!! 🤯
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 16, 2026
🎥 One of the best catches you would see in the #TATAIPL history 🔥🔥
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Fn2dxJ4zYR#KhelBindaas | #MIvPBKS | @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/6EKgHR82cL
The effort is already being labelled a contender for the “catch of the tournament” and with good reason. Officially recorded as 'c Bartlett b Jansen', the Wankhede crowd knew exactly who had engineered it, rising in appreciation of local-lad Iyer's boundary-line acrobatics.
The wicket also proved timely in the context of the innings. Pandya, who had just struck a six at the start of the over, was dismissed for 14, cutting short what looked like a push towards a 200-plus total.
Mumbai Indians eventually finished on 195/6, setting Punjab Kings a target of 196.
It was an innings shaped by recovery by the five-time champions after early damage. Arshdeep Singh's incisive opening spell (3/22) reduced MI to 12/2, removing Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav off successive deliveries. From there, Quinton de Kock anchored the innings with a commanding unbeaten 112 off 60 balls, reaching his century in just 53 deliveries on his maiden appearance this season.
Naman Dhir provided crucial support through the middle overs, scoring 50 off 31 balls in a 122-run third-wicket stand that rebuilt the innings and shifted momentum decisively in Mumbai's favour.
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