On Sunday, Shreyas Iyer made a special IPL history by guiding Punjab Kings into the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. With this feat, Iyer is the only captain in IPL history who has guided three different franchises to the playoff stage.
Interestingly, two of these playoff qualifications have come consecutively in two successive seasons. After sitting out the entire 2023 IPL with a back injury, Iyer made a return to glory in 2024 by leading the Kolkata Knight Riders—a side that had finished seventh in both of their last two seasons—to an IPL trophy. However, success wasn't enough for KKR, and they released him prior to last October's mega auction. Punjab Kings subsequently signed him for a record ₹26.75 crore, an investment that is already bearing fruit, as Iyer led them into the playoffs after an over decade-long drought.
In the midst of Punjab's good show under Iyer's captaincy, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar publicly criticized the unfair treatment meted out to Iyer after he had won the IPL last season with KKR. Gavaskar pointed towards the misguided credit assigned to others, particularly mentioning the mentorship of Gautam Gambhir.
"Last season, he didn't receive the credit for winning the IPL. All the credit went to someone else. It's the captain who gets involved in what's going on in the middle and not someone who happens to be in the dugout. See, this season he's receiving proper credit. Ricky Ponting isn't receiving all the credit," Gavaskar said in a Star Sports commentary.
Iyer's cricket has been top class not only in the IPL but also overseas this year. He arrived at the IPL after a star performance in the Champions Trophy, where he was India's top run-getter and the second overall run-getter with 405 runs from 11 innings at an average of 50.62 with four half-centuries to his credit. His performances in Dubai also helped him get the ICC Men's Player of the Month Award for March.
Following his excellent stint in the IPL, Iyer has gained 435 runs from 12 matches at a scorching strike rate of 174.70 with four half-centuries to his name. His captaincy led Punjab Kings to their first playoff position since 2014—the first occasion the franchise had reached the IPL final.
PBKS secured their spot after securing a 10-run win over Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Sunday, with Gujarat Titans' win against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium also sealing their passage.
