Shreyas Iyer Appointed as Captain of Punjab Kings for IPL 2025
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New Delhi, Jan 12 (NationPress) Punjab Kings have officially appointed Shreyas Iyer as the captain for the IPL 2025 season. In a distinctive move, this announcement was revealed by Bollywood star Salman Khan on the reality TV show 'Bigg Boss' on Sunday.
Iyer, along with Shashank Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal, joined Salman on the set to enhance the excitement for fans.
The 30-year-old expressed his gratitude to the management of Punjab Kings and promised to live up to their confidence.
"I am honored that the team has placed their trust in me. I look forward to collaborating once more with Coach Ponting. The team appears strong, combining great potential with seasoned performers. I aim to honor the faith shown by management and help us secure our first title," Iyer stated.
Head coach Ricky Ponting remarked, "Shreyas possesses a keen understanding of the game. His proven leadership skills will guide the team effectively. I have enjoyed previous experiences with Iyer in the IPL and eagerly anticipate our collaboration. With his leadership and the squad's talent, I am enthusiastic about the upcoming seasons."
Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon added, "We had pinpointed Shreyas as our captain and were thrilled with the auction outcome. He has demonstrated mastery of the format, and his vision aligns seamlessly with our objectives. With him and Ponting working together, we believe we have a robust leadership team to drive us towards our first title."
In 2024, Iyer enjoyed a standout year. He was part of the Mumbai team that triumphed in the Ranji and Irani trophy. He captained Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in the 2024 IPL campaign, and under his guidance, Mumbai clinched their second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Iyer was anticipated to be appointed captain of Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 after being acquired for an astonishing Rs 26.75 crore during the IPL Mega Auction last November.
Punjab entered the auction having retained only two players - Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh - with a maximum budget of Rs 110.5 crore, looking to build a fresh squad under new head coach Ricky Ponting. They secured Arshdeep Singh by utilizing their Right-to-Match (RTM) card against the final bid of Rs 18 crore from Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Kings made headlines by acquiring Iyer for a staggering Rs 26.75 crore, making him the second most expensive buy of the auction after Rishabh Pant, who fetched a jaw-dropping Rs 27 crore from Lucknow Super Giants.
"The auction has gone exceptionally well. It probably couldn’t have gone better, to be honest. A lot of hard work and teamwork has gone into this. The analysts have done a fantastic job providing me with detailed insights on local players. Naturally, I am familiar with many of the overseas players," Ponting remarked post-auction.
Punjab Kings squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Lockie Ferguson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Kuldeep Sen, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, Pyla Avinash, Pravin Dubey.
