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Shreyas Iyer is up for the challenge of leading Punjab Kings, a franchise which has only qualified in the IPL top-four twice.
Shreyas Iyer worked with Ricky Ponting at DC. (Picture Credit: PTI)
Shreyas Iyer said on Friday that after winning four trophies in 2024, his ‘main goal’ is to work hard alongside Ricky Ponting and give Punjab Kings (PBKS) its maiden IPL title in 2025.
PBKS signed Shreyas for an IPL-record Rs. 26.75 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. He had already won IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as captain and the domestic double of Ranji Trophy and the Irani Cup with Mumbai before the auction. He recently led the state to its second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title, adding another feather to his already heavy hat.
“It has been a great year for me personally winning four trophies this season and my main goal will be to win the IPL for Punjab,” Shreyas told PBKS in a video interview posted on their social media channels. “I can understand the fans’ feelings. But with Ricky coming in, we share a great camaraderie from the past and we would be putting our thinking cap on and brainstorming on many aspects. Hopefully, we will be able to deliver from match one.”
“Surreal feeling after winning the SMAT. We have put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes and the boys were tremendous with the performance. Now we are done with this part. Moving on to the next big thing which is the IPL in the coming months. Super excited to be a part of the Punjab Kings. Can’t wait to join the Punjab Kings family”
Shreyas has worked with Ponting in the past when he took over the Delhi Capitals from Gautam Gambhir in the middle of a turbulent 2018 season under the Australian’s coaching. In 2020, the duo led the Capitals to their first-ever IPL final.
Shreyas was injured for the first half of the 2021 season and moved to KKR in 2022 when the Capitals decided to promote interim leader Rishabh Pant to full-time captaincy instead of giving the Mumbaikar his role back when he returned.
PBKS will present him with his biggest test yet. The franchise has not only failed to win the title despite playing in the tournament since 2008, but it has also only qualified into the top four twice in its history, with the last one coming in 2014 when it lost the final to Gambhir’s KKR.
