Indian Premier League 2026 | ‘Not just athleticism, but awareness’: Sachin Tendulkar praises Iyer’s boundary catch

Sachin TendulkarKnown as the “God of Cricket” and highly praised Shreyas Iyer He took a brilliant boundary catch during the IPL 2026 match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium.Kings XI Punjab captain Shriyas Iyer left the fans and even the opposing players in awe with his stunning performance on the field. Players in the Mumbai Indians dugout, including Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, were visibly stunned as they witnessed the moment. The incident occurred in the 18th over when Hardik Pandya pushed Marco Jansen’s delivery to long off.What happened next was extraordinary. Iyer quickly sprints to his left and traces the ball perfectly near the boundary rope. Realizing he was about to lose his balance, he showed remarkable composure to catch the ball in mid-air with a reverse cup and flick it back into play before crossing the boundary. Xavier Bartlett made the catch, but it was Iyer’s brilliance that made the play possible. He celebrated in style as the crowd erupted.

High praise from Tendulkar

The stunning effort quickly went viral, sparking admiration on social media. Sachin Tendulkar was one of the first to praise the effort, highlighting not only the athleticism but also the intelligence behind the moment.“What makes Shreyas Iyer’s catch so special is not just the athleticism but the awareness behind it. He has to judge the speed of the ball, the height, where the boundary rope is, how close he is to stepping on the boundary rope and make his jump absolutely perfect.”“Then, while he’s still in the air, he catches the ball and passes it to a teammate before it hits the ground, all the while knowing exactly where the fielder is. To process all of this in a split second requires incredible awareness, timing, physical fitness and composure.”