Shreyas Iyer, who captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL 2024 title, was picked by Punjab Kings for Rs 26.75 crore in IPL 2025 mega auctions.
If Rishabh Pant walking away as the most expensive player at Rs 27 crore was a certainty, Punjab Kings shelling out Rs 26.75 crore for Shreyas Iyer after staving off Delhi Capital’ persistence was unprecedented. His name barely made any noise, or even a whisper in the days leading up to the auction. It could be that he had been lying low in the past few months, largely confined to domestic toils.
Then, cricketers like Shreyas Iyer are always in demand. There are compelling factors that make him a hot entity on the auction table. He is an experienced, proven and reliable batsman. While there has not been an earth-shatteringly standout season, Shreyas Iyer has been consistent. In five of the nine he has scored over 400 runs, winning several matches en route. In the last season, he upped his strike rate from the early 130s to mid-140s. There are little doubts about his stroke-play. The short-balls don’t harangue him in this format as much as in Test cricket.
At his best, Shreyas Iyer is a blend of old-world classicism and new-age devilry. He can bat anywhere in the order, in any situation and play any role the team wants to. Shreyas Iyer could be the aggressor, finisher or the enforcer, as he had been with the Indian team in the 0-over format. His biggest enemy, though, has been himself, in his incapacity to dive into the depths of his talent. Perhaps, all it requires is a good mentor, one career-swinging knock to transform him from a talented batsman to a batting colossus. Shreyas Iyer is still only 29, and it was around this age that his Mumbai teammate Suryakumar Yadav made the big leap.
Moreover, he has racked up ample leadership credentials. Only last year did he lead Kolkata Knight Riders to the title with a brand of understated captaincy. For all his flashiness with the bat, he was more of a quiet presence on the field. But he often made sacrifices, like batting down the order or promoting himself in crisis. Thus, Shreyas Iyer was always going to be a precious proposition in the IPL auction. It was just that he has been invisible in the last few months.
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