604 runs, at an average of 50.3, striking at 175 while leading his side to an IPL Final, it was a season and a half for Shreyas Iyer, the player and the captain, with his new side, Punjab Kings, in the most recent edition of the cash-rich league. Iyer was also the most sought-after at the player auction, with the Kings splurging Rs 26.75 crore to acquire his services and the perennial underperformers almost hit the jackpot with that deal as the 30-year-old gave his all.
The circumstances weren't the best when Iyer had to leave his previous franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR,) despite winning them their third IPL title as a captain. Several reports suggested that Iyer wasn't happy with the price point at which the Knight Riders were retaining him, and there were a couple of other reasons for disagreement. Iyer came to the auction on his on terms and now might build the legacy for the Punjab franchise for years to come, alongside Ricky Ponting, whom he reunited with after five years as captain.
“I offer a lot as a captain and player. If I get respect, anything can be accomplished," Iyer told GQ India. “This is what happened at Punjab. They gave me all the support I needed, whether it was the coaches, management or players. I was coming off a high, having just helped India win the Champions Trophy. So all the stakeholders at Punjab Kings were eager to hear from me and have me contribute meaningfully.
"This allowed me to be decisive both on and off the field. I was in every meeting with the management and coaches, contributing strategically. This is something I love," Iyer added. When asked if all of this wasn't available to him at his disposal at KKR, Iyer was quick to respond, "I was part of the conversation, but wasn’t completely in the mix. I’ve had to work my way up to get to the position I am in now.”
Iyer was with the Knight Riders for three seasons, but played only two because of injury during the 2023 season, as he underwent back surgery to get it right once and for all. After a disappointing season in 2022, when Iyer returned in 2024, KKR made a few personnel changes by including the likes of Phil Salt and Mitchell Starc, while also having Gautam Gambhir return in the capacity of a mentor and as they say, the rest is history.
In 2025, he had a humongous challenge to do it all over again with a new franchise, with a fresh set of players and he led from the front. Punjab Kings fell short in the final by six runs against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) but with the team they have, they will not be far from a trophy in coming seasons.
