‘I am impressed with Iyer's care for his playing group'

Time of India

22-05-2025

Jaipur: Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to a triumphant Indian Premier League title victory last year, yet his captaincy often flew under the radar. Now, with a move to Punjab Kings, Iyer has earned widespread praise for his leadership, including from his new team's assistant coach
, who has been with the franchise since 2022.
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Former Australia wicketkeeper-batter lauded Iyer's genuine care for his teammates and his ability to lead under pressure. "One thing that impressed me most is his care for his playing group. He's got a really clear message in what he delivers to the players and he lives those habits all the time. The players got an enormous amount of respect for him," Haddin told TOI in an exclusive interaction.
Haddin also highlighted the strong partnership between Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, noting their effective collaboration, built on their prior association at Delhi Capitals.
"They've had a great relationship since their time in Delhi. They work well together and that's shown this season. A lot of work goes behind the scenes in the analytics and the way you want to play the game. But on the field, it's up to the captain to drive the standards and make decisions under pressure," Haddin praised 'outstanding' Iyer.
Mega auction helped rebuild the squad: Reflecting on the team's strategy, Haddin explained that Punjab Kings approached the recent auction with a clear and strategic vision for building a competitive squad."The
one thing that has changed this season is we had the opportunity for a new auction. We had Ricky come in and we had a really clear mindset on the players we wanted in the style of game that we're going to play. So we're lucky enough there to be real aggressive in the auction," the former wicketkeeper stated.
PBKS wanted to be 'different' this season: Having qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, Punjab remain focused on their remaining league matches, with Haddin underscoring the team's ambition to secure a top-two finish.
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"The mood of the camp is great. It's a reward to qualify, but we've still got two games left. Our consistent message from the start was that we wanted to be different from any other Punjab team that had been involved in this tournament. With two games left, our goal is still to finish in one or two, and that hasn't changed from the start. There has been great buy-in from all the players regarding the style of game and their training habits.
"So to qualify for the final is a good reward not just for the players but everyone outside of the playing group that's put so much work in over the years," the 47-year-old mentioned.
'Kohli will be sorely missed': Virat Kohli made the biggest impact on the Test stage and the format will sorely miss him, feels Haddin.
The former Australia wicketkeeper, who had some heated exchanges with Kohli in the past, says Kohli's passion for the high-stakes moments made him stand out.
"It was just his willingness to compete," Haddin said. "Kohli was a once-in-a-generation player and he changed the way the game was played with how he presented himself physically. The thing that drew Australians to Kohli was his sheer passion for the big moments.
"He enjoyed coming up against teams like Australia, South Africa and England when they were at their peak and it that brought the best out of him," Haddin said.
Kohli's captaincy debut in the 2014 Adelaide Test was marked by confrontations with both Mitchell Johnson and Haddin, and the batter responded with twin centuries to showcase his resilience and skill under pressure.
"He's going to be sorely missed in Test cricket. I think that was his greatest format, where he had the biggest impact," the Punjab Kings' assistant coach added.