Delhi: Former Indian opener Akash Chopra has praised the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Talking on Giostar, Akash said that Shreyas is one of the few captains who converted the franchise already struggling into a strong and competitive team.
Experience from Delhi captaincy
Shreyas Iyer suddenly got the responsibility of Delhi Capitals (DC) after leaving Gautam Gambhir in the year 2018. The team stood at the last position in that season, but Shreyas gave direction to the team and took the playoffs for the next 3 years. In the year 2020, he brought Delhi to the IPL final for the first time, which was the biggest place in the history of the team.
IPL title with Kolkata Knight Riders
Shreyas became the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022, but the team finished seventh. After this, he stayed out of the entire season in 2023 due to a back injury. His return in 2024 was excellent and he gave KKR an IPL title for the third time after 10 years.
Wrote new story with Punjab Kings
In 2025, Punjab Kings bought him for a record 26.75 crore rupees, which was the second biggest deal in the history of IPL auction. The special thing is that the team had already been formed by head coach Ricky Ponting, Shreyas did not get any role in it. But he took charge of the team, left his captaincy and took the team to the playoffs for the first time after 2014.
This success of Punjab has been one of the biggest stories of this season. The team, always considered weak, now looks balanced and full of confidence.
Johar showed Jauhar without making his team
Akash Chopra emphasized that this team was not formed by Shreyas, but still he took care of him in a brilliant way. Usually, the captains get a chance to form a team before the auction, so that they choose players according to their plan. But Shreyas was given a built-in team and he did amazing with him.
He said, “He brought the already made team and harmed it. As a batsman, he always kept himself at number 3 and performed continuously. When you score runs, your honor in the team itself increases.”
Not hidden in difficult times
Shreyas never turned away from her responsibilities throughout the season. Akash Chopra said, “Many times the captains go down or make excuses in the batting order in difficult times. But Shreyas did not do anything like this. He left the team by staying in front all the time.” He also added that Shreyas joined some good options like foreign player Jose English and balanced the team.
Real exam in qualifier 1 now
Now the real test of Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy will take place when Punjab Kings Qualifier 1 will face Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). At the end of the league phase, Punjab has finished first and Bangalore, and both teams will now be face to face in the final race.
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