Captain Marvel: Shreyas Iyer one win away from his moment in the sun
"I felt I didn't receive the recognition I deserved after winning the IPL, but at the end of the day, as long as you have self-integrity and you continue doing the right things when no one is watching, that's what truly matters – and that's what I kept doing," Shreyas Iyer said, reflecting on why he chose to leave KKR despite leading the side to an IPL title.advertisementIt wasn't a quote made for the cameras. It was a sentence soaked in silence — the kind that lingers after the lights have dimmed and the applause has faded. Iyer wasn't just talking about cricket; he was speaking about what it feels like to be invisible in plain sight.As Kolkata Knight Riders captain, he barely put a foot wrong during their 2024 IPL-winning campaign, but the presence of Gautam Gambhir, Chandrakant Pandit and Abhishek Nayar in the dugout meant Shreyas's leadership was often overshadowed.
And yet, by leading Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title against Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, he proved there's more to his captaincy than merely executing instructions from the sidelines.Also Read: IPL 2025 final preview, RCB vs PBKS: 17-year wait, 18th attempt, one dreamadvertisementA few months later, Shreyas Iyer became Punjab Kings' 17th captain — yes, seventeenth. If that doesn't tell you everything about the franchise's identity crisis, nothing will.But after years of chopping and changing, of false dawns and fleeting hopes, with one win away from their maiden title, PBKS finally found their Sarpanch — a leader the fans worship, the coach trusts, and the owners can't stop smiling about.The leader that CSK has always had in MS Dhoni, MI have in Rohit Sharma and RCB in Virat Kohli.Infact, Punjab Kings fans are going gaga over Shreyas. A clip from the podcast The Boundary Boys, where the host promises Shreyas Iyer 100 acres of land, a 10-acre mansion, and even a Canadian bride — all on one condition: lead Punjab Kings to their maiden IPL title.SHREYAS: THE MAN WITH THE MIDAS TOUCH
Shreyas Iyer is currently the sixth highest run-scorer in IPL 2025. Courtesy: AP
Cricket rarely offers fairy tales, but it often rewards persistence. Shreyas Iyer, once a mainstay in the Indian team, was overlooked for a central contract in 2024 after missing early-season domestic matches – a requirement set by the BCCI. He had withdrawn from a Ranji Trophy match in February 2024 due to injury concerns, prompting disciplinary action.advertisementHis response? Performance.He returned to domestic cricket and played a pivotal role in Mumbai's successful run — lifting the Ranji Trophy, the Irani Cup, and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Iyer then made his way back into India's ODI side for the England series and carried that momentum into the title-winning Champions Trophy campaign, where he emerged as India's leading scorer with 243 runs in five matches, including two half-centuries.Then, three months later, well past midnight on June 2, Shreyas Iyer played a gladiator's knock to seal Punjab Kings' spot in the final. With this, he became only the second captain — after MS Dhoni — to take more than one franchise to the IPL final. More remarkably, he's the only one to lead three different teams to the final in successive years.advertisementTHE PONTING CONNECTION
Shreyas Iyer has flourished with Ricky Ponting as coach. Courtesy: PTI
Shreyas Iyer's stock soared to Rs 26.75 crore — the second-highest IPL auction bid in history — as Punjab's dogged pursuit finally succeeded. It took the vision and persistence of newly appointed head coach Ricky Ponting to secure Shreyas Iyer and steer PBKS to their first final since 2014."I was pretty keen to work with him again," Ponting said. "It was obvious how much I valued him – we had a great working relationship at Delhi and even made the final in 2020 under his captaincy. He's a quality person. When you're trying to build a winning culture, you need people like that."Since his recall into the Indian ODI side in February, Shreyas has made it a habit to deliver match-winning and impactful innings across formats. In IPL 2025, as Punjab's captain, he has led from the front. After losing the Qualifier 1, Shreyas said his team had lost the battle and not the war. And boy, he batted like a true champion in the very next game against Mumbai Indians, battling the Jasprit Bumrah-led bowling attack to score match-winning 87: probably one of his finest innings of his IPL career.advertisementFROM ANCHOR TO ENFORCERLast year at KKR, Shreyas often played second fiddle. At Punjab, he's had to carry more responsibility — as their designated enforcer in a line-up without high-profile overseas stars.From match one, Ponting spoke about witnessing a new version of Shreyas: confident, assertive, and fearless.The numbers back it up. For the first time, Iyer has crossed 600 runs in an IPL season. Most tellingly, his strike rate — 175.80 — is far above his career T20 average of 133.40. Having struck just 30 sixes across his last three seasons, he's smashed 39 this year alone.Since last year, Shreyas has won every major trophy he's chased — IPL 2024 with KKR, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with Mumbai, and the ICC Champions Trophy with India.IS SHREYAS IYER INDIA CAPTAINCY MATERIAL?
Shreyas Iyer has led three different teams to IPL finals. Courtesy: AP
Taking the reins as Punjab Kings' captain in IPL 2025, Shreyas has transformed the side into a force to reckon with. His astute leadership and match-winning performances have instilled a winning mentality in a squad long starved of it.advertisementNow, his success with Punjab Kings has reignited conversations around his suitability for India's captaincy.Mind you, Shreyas is not currently part of India's Test or T20I squads. He wasn't picked for the upcoming England series, nor did he feature in the last T20I series.Yet, he was India's MVP in the Champions Trophy — where the team, led by Rohit Sharma, remained unbeaten.His strategic nous in IPL 2025, especially with PBKS, has been key to their first playoff appearance in over a decade.'I've said this time and again and I'll say it AGAIN!! Iyer will captain India in multiple formats!! He has to!! He's that good,' wrote Robin Uthappa on X.Sunil Gavaskar, too, feels Iyer didn't get due credit for KKR's title win in 2024 — possibly hinting at Gambhir's dominant presence."All the plaudits were given to someone else. It's the captain who influences what happens on the pitch, not someone sitting in the dugout,' Gavaskar said on Star Sports. 'This year he's getting the credit. No one's giving it all to Ponting."RCB VS PBKS – LEGACY ON THE LINERCB and PBKS have never won an IPL title, despite being part of the league since its inception. Alongside Delhi Capitals, they form what social media cheekily calls the 'Holy Trinity' — franchises with loyal fanbases who've learnt to wear heartbreak with humour and a sense of shared solidarity.For Shreyas Iyer — 603 runs this season — a second consecutive IPL final tells its own story. He is now the only player in tournament history to lead three different teams to the final.But it's not just perseverance that defines him — it's hunger. The same hunger that burned when he first walked into the PBKS dressing room still fuels him today, fiercer than ever, ahead of the biggest match of the season.Pressure's loud. Those maximums were louderCaptain Shreyas Iyer puts #PBKS on the brink of a seat in the GRAND FINALUpdates https://t.co/vIzPVlDqoC#TATAIPL | #PBKSvMI | #Qualifier2 | #TheLastMile | @ShreyasIyer15 pic.twitter.com/tTiXcELxoG— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) June 1, 2025On Tuesday, he'll face a revitalised RCB side led by an India teammate, Virat Kohli — a player he stood beside during that painful World Cup semi-final loss on this very ground in 2023. While Kohli has always had the nation's love, Iyer has had to earn every cheer, every nod.Despite his success as a captain and a batter for DC, KKR and India, he has never truly been embraced — not by a franchise, nor by the national selectors. Somewhere along the way, he even lost his central contract.Now, Shreyas leads a side that has never lifted the IPL trophy — but he has. And yet, he's never had a team or a nation rally around him as their own quite like Punjab fans have around their Sarpanch Sahab.But the fight is far from over.A win on Tuesday would end Punjab's 18-year wait — and answer every unasked question about Shreyas Iyer's leadership, intent, and legacy.This is no longer Shreyas Iyer, the overlooked captain.This is Shreyas Iyer, the man who made Punjab Kings believe.And come Tuesday night, the world will watch.It might finally see Shreyas Iyer as the true leader: IPL's Captain Marvel.Stay updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment!Tune InTrending Reel
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