New Delhi: Midas touch is overrated in cricket. It’s a cliché that last found some weight when MS Dhoni, the captain, was at his peak in Indian cricket, winning trophies one after another. But how else do you explain the phenomenon that is Shreyas Iyer? Everything he touches seems to be turning into gold as Iyer stands just a couple, or maybe three wins away from lifting his second successive IPL title with a new team – Punjab Kings.
To say Punjab Kings have had a near-identical campaign as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) did under Iyer last season would be a fair comparison. Like KKR, Punjab are on top of the table after the end of the conclusion of the league stage in IPL 2025 with nine wins, exactly as many as KKR earned last season, albeit Iyer’s team has incurred an extra loss this season.
But not many saw that coming. Punjab Kings have long been viewed as the perennial underperformers, and rightfully so. A team that has been marred with constant leadership issues and has rarely looked settled for an entire season, PBKS deserve to be counted among the bottom-tier teams in the IPL. And the fact that the Punjab Kings last came close to tasting IPL success over a decade ago paints a clear picture.
But Iyer’s partnership with head coach Ricky Ponting at the helm has changed everything this season. The duo who bucked the trend to take Delhi Capitals into their first-ever IPL final in 2020 have worked magic together once again with the Punjab Kings. From changing the team environment to instilling belief in a young side and letting results do the talking, the duo have transformed Punjab, one game at a time.
Shreyas Iyer’s confidence trumps price-tag pressure
Eyebrows were raised when Punjab Kings decided to shell out a whopping Rs 26.75 crore for Iyer in the mega auction last year, making the India star the second-most expensive player in IPL history. Many thought the whopping amount of money was way too much for a pure batter. But PBKS probably saw what Kolkata Knight Riders didn’t, despite Iyer helping them win their first title in a decade last season.
Iyer himself admitted he didn’t feel he got enough credit for his role in KKR’s memorable title triumph last season, where he was dramatically and somewhat unfairly overshadowed by mentor Gautam Gambhir. But at Punjab Kings, the leader Iyer has mostly been on his own and has been the team’s guiding light, leading from the front.
Ponting has taken a backseat despite being the cricket genius that he is and has backed Iyer’s leadership to the hilt, highlighting his captaincy decisions, which have played a key role in Punjab Kings’ phenomenal season. From backing his instincts on the field to giving the young guns the freedom and his bowlers the backing in crunch situations, Iyer has excelled as a captain in IPL 2025.
He has shown little signs of getting fazed under the price-tag pressure and has shone as the leader of the side. Under Iyer, Punjab Kings have topped the table in the league stage for the first time since 2014, when they lost to KKR in the final to miss out on what could have been their maiden title. But it is not just Iyer, the captain, who has stood out.
Iyer, the batter, has been equally good if not better. While he has led his team to a top-of-the-table finish after 11 years, Iyer has also topped the run-scoring charts for Punjab Kings. With 514 runs from 14 matches at an excellent average of 51.40 and an impressive strike rate of over 171, Iyer is Punjab’s leading run-getter in IPL 2025 so far and is just 6 runs short of surpassing his best-ever performance in an IPL season, when he scored 520 for DC in 2020.
Iyer has oozed confidence both while batting and leading, and has exceeded expectations in both to help his team pull off the unthinkable. Though the job is far from done yet, Iyer, who has been enjoying Midas touch over the last 12-14 months, will feel taking PBKS to IPL glory might finally silence his critics once and forever.
The Midas touch
Calling it the Midas touch would be unfair to Iyer’s excellent leadership credentials, but there might not really be a better term to describe what the 30-year-old has achieved over the last year or so. From winning his maiden IPL title as captain win KKR to leading Mumbai to Syed Mushatq Ali success, and lifting the Ranji Trophy, before winning the Champions Trophy with India, Iyer has achieved it all.
It started with Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy triumph last year, before Iyer guided KKR to their third title in IPL 2024. He then lifted the Irani Cup with Mumbai before leading them to a memorable triumph in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. There was no stopping Iyer as he finished as the leading run-getter for India in their title-winning run in the Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year.
Having won nearly every tournament that he took part in, in domestic and international cricket in 2024-25, Iyer has enjoyed a golden run as a player and a captain. He would be hoping to cap it off by becoming the first captain to take Punjab Kings to IPL glory and the first to win the coveted trophy with two different teams in back-to-back seasons, a feat that even the best of leaders in Indian cricket have never came close to achieving.
All eyes will be on the leader Shreyas Iyer when Punjab Kings take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first Qualifier of the season for a spot in the final. At Mullanpur, Punjab’s home, Iyer will feel at home with huge support expected for the hosts. But for Iyer, it will be the sternest challenge of the season so far, as a win will put him and Punjab within touching distance of a historic triumph, while a loss will push them into array of uncertainity despite a second shot to making the final.
Shreyas Iyer has excelled in the leadership role at Punjab Kings despite the price-tag pressure and is now eyeing to become the first captain to win consecutive IPL titles with two different teams. IPL Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
