He went on to win five titles during this period.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has heaped praise on the star batter Shreyas Iyer for earning back his BCCI contract after great performances in the 2024-25 season. He revealed that it was pleasing to see the confrontation between the BCCI and the players get solved. He is glad that both Shreyas and Ishan Kishan have got back their annual contracts.
“I thought seeing Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan back in the mix [was pleasing]. Because what transpired there was between the team management, the BCCI and the individuals involved. I’m glad that there was communication, things have been sorted out and they get back their contracts,” he stated.
The 62-year-old praised the Punjab Kings skipper for coming out of this adverse situation and continuing to play his natural game. Shastri acknowledged his crucial role in India’s title-winning Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. He also hailed the 30-year-old as “an absolute certainty” in ODIs for his recent success in the format.
“Shreyas Iyer in particular, the way he’s played for India over the last 18 months and he’s become like an absolute certainty in the white ball format of the game, especially the one day format. And the way he played in the Champions Trophy, you know, demands recognition. They’ve literally banged the door down. But you know, they were reprimanded, they were given the rap on the knuckles that at times is needed. But I’m glad, all is well, you know, and settled,” he said in an ICC interview.
ALSO READ:
Notably, the batter was on a title-winning spree in the domestic leagues last year after being left out of the BCCI annual contracts 2024-25. Shreyas won the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Mumbai. He also led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2024.
This year, he won his first-ever ICC title in the form of the Champions Trophy 2025. He notched up 243 runs in five matches to dominate the championship and guide India to end their over-a-decade-long ICC title drought. Previously, Shreyas also put up 181 runs during the three-match ODI series against England as he made his national team comeback.
These astonishing achievements saw him land a cash-rich deal in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 player auction. Punjab Kings (PBKS) acquired his services for a huge amount of INR 26.75 crore and handed him the leadership. He is also continuing his purple patch in the IPL 2025. The batter has scored 263 runs in eight matches so far with a highest score of 97* (42).
PBKS are currently positioned fourth in the IPL 2025 points table with five wins in the tournament so far. They will next play against Shreyas’ former team, KKR, at the Eden Gardens on April 26.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
