He acknowledged how the PBKS management entirely backed his views and decisions throughout the IPL 2025.
There were storms of speculation after one of the most successful Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), released their title-winning captain, Shreyas Iyer, ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. Notably, after the current India head coach Gautam Gambhir led the side to glory in the IPL 2012 and the IPL 2014, it was Shreyas, who captained KKR to their third IPL trophy.
Moreover, after the two-year stint with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Gambhir was appointed as the mentor of KKR in the IPL 2025, leading many to believe that the success was a testament to only his presence, views and insights inside the camp, which played a key role in ending the team’s decade-long drought. This led to Shreyas’ statement of not getting the deserved credit after his stint came to an end with the franchise.
After having an outstanding season with his new franchise, Punjab Kings (PBKS), the batter has opened up on the key differences between the managements of two of the latest IPL teams that he represented. Shreyas acknowledged how they entirely backed his views and decisions throughout the IPL 2025, which also led to a stunning campaign for the PBKS.
“I offer a lot as a captain and player. If I get respect, anything can be accomplished. This is what happened at Punjab. I was coming off a high, having just helped India win the Champions Trophy. I was in every meeting with the management and coaches, contributing strategically. This is something I love,” stated Shreyas to GQ.
But when questioned about whether it was not a similar environment while leading the Knights, the 30-year-old revealed that he “was not completely in the mix.” However, the PBKS went all in to acquire the player in the IPL 2025 auction and secured his services for a massive amount of INR 26.75 crores. Shreyas also paid back the faith shown by the Punjab management and went on to become only the second skipper after George Bailey, to take the team to the IPL Final.
“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,” revealed the batter.
ALSO READ:
Even after a continued display of a great run of form, throughout domestic, international and IPL matches, the batter could not find a place in the national team in two of their latest assignments. Firstly, he was snubbed for the five-match Test tour of England, followed by the recent exclusion from India’s T20 squad for the multi-national tournament — ACC Asia Cup 2025.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has elected Shreyas to captain the India A side in the upcoming two multi-day matches against Australia A. The series-opener will kickoff on September 16 in Lucknow and will be followed by three limited-over fixtures on September 30, October 3 and October 5, respectively.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
