Can Shreyas Iyer Seal a Fairy-Tale Year with IPL 2025 Gold?
Shreyas Iyer had one of the best redemption arcs after being removed from the BCCI Central Contract in 2024. He went on to win domestic tournaments such as Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and IPL 2024 as a captain. Regaining his place in the Indian team, Iyer also won the Champions Trophy. But can he end his dream year by winning the IPL 2025 final for PBKS?
Shreyas Iyer, also known as Sarpanch Saab, has been having a dream year since his removal from the BCCI’s central contract in 2024. After giving his best performance for the Indian team in the 2023 World Cup, Iyer didn’t find himself in the Central Contract, so he thought of proving himself to the selectors. And that is where his dream year started when he led Kolkata Knight Riders to win the IPL title after 10 years.
| Major Events | Performance |
|---|---|
| Won Ranji Trophy 2024 | Scored 153 runs in 5 innings, at an average of 38.25, with a high score of 95. |
| Won SMAT 2024 | Led Mumbai to win the title, scoring 345 runs in 9 matches at an average of 49.28, and a strike rate of 188.52. |
| Won IPL 2024 | Led KKR to win the title after 10 years, scoring 351 runs in 15 matches at an average of 39 and a strike rate of 146.48. |
| Won Irani Cup 2024 | Led Mumbai to win the title after 27 years, scoring 65 runs in 2 innings, including a half-century. |
| Bought by PBKS in the Auction | In the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, Shreyas Iyer was bought by Punjab Kings for 26.75 crores and was later announced as the team’s captain. |
| Won the Champions Trophy 2025 | In his international comeback, he helped India win the CT 2025, as he scored 248 runs in 5 matches at an average of 48.60. |
| Returns to Central Contract | After his performances in the domestic and international tournaments, Shreyas Iyer regained his spot in the Central Contract. |
| Led PBKS to IPL Finals | Iyer led Punjab Kings to the IPL finals after 11 years, scoring 603 runs in 16 matches with 6 half-centuries. |
Shreyas Iyer has laid his hands on almost every domestic and international title since his removal from the central contract in 2024. In various tournaments, he also led his team to victory as a captain and now has a chance to help Punjab Kings end its 18-year title drought in the IPL.
Will Shreyas Iyer become the first captain to lead two different IPL teams to win the title?
Ranji Trophy 2024
After his removal from the Central Contract early in 2024, Shreyas Iyer started focusing on the domestic tournaments, starting with the Ranji Trophy. Playing for Mumbai under Ajinkya Rahane, he played a crucial role in some matches, which helped Mumbai to defeat Vidarbha by 169 runs in the final and lift the title.
In the second innings of the final, Iyer gave his best performance by scoring 95 runs, ending the campaign with 153 runs in 3 matches at an average of 38.25. Mumbai finished at the top spot in Group B, with 5 wins in 7 matches, which helped them to easily make it to the qualifier matches. Defeating Tamil Nadu in the semi-final, they matched up to the final clash, winning the title once again.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024
As a captain, Shreyas Iyer led Mumbai to win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, defeating Madhya Pradesh in the finals by 5 wickets. Iyer scored an impressive total of 345 runs in 9 matches at a strike rate of 188.52, including a century and a half-century. Although he didn’t perform well in the finals, he scored 46 off 30 in the semi-final clash, which played a crucial role in its win over Baroda.
Under his captaincy, Mumbai dominated in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 edition, winning 5 out of 6 matches in the Group stages. Later, the team defeated Vidarbha in the Quarter Finals and Baroda in the semi-finals with a good margin. Shreyas Iyer’s role as a captain remained unmatched in the entire tournament, as he helped Mumbai to win the final.
IPL 2024
Dominating in the domestic tournaments was not enough to prove his worth, due to which Iyer also performed well for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024. Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to win their second title this season, as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the finals by 8 wickets, the biggest margin of victory in any IPL final.
Batting in the top order, Iyer scored 351 runs in 15 matches at an average of 39, playing match-winning knocks in several games. KKR finished at the top of the table with 9 wins in 14 matches, as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in both Qualifier 1 and the final match to win the IPL title under Shreyas Iyer.
Irani Cup 2024
Mumbai played against the Rest of India team in the Irani Cup, and under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, the team was able to break its jinx of the Irani title after 27 years. In the sole match played, Mumbai was able to win the match in the first innings, as it resulted in a draw after all the days were completed.
Shreyas scored 65 runs in both innings, which also includes a magnificent half-century in the first innings of the game. With the help of other players such as Sarfaraz Khan, Ajinkya Rahane, Tanush Kotian, Prithvi Shaw, and Shams Mulani, the team was able to dominate in the match and lift the Irani Cup after a hiatus of 27 years.
IPL 2025 Mega Auction
Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Shreyas Iyer was not a part of the retention list given by Kolkata Knight Riders. This allowed him to participate in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, where Punjab Kings took the opportunity to change their captaincy for good. The team bought Shreyas Iyer for a whopping total of 26.75 crore INR.
Looking forward to a new captain, the Punjab Kings also knew that Shreyas Iyer would be the perfect choice for them. Thus, they announced Shreyas as the captain before the season, hoping he would help them to start a new chapter of a dominant Punjab in the Indian Premier League.
Champions Trophy 2025
With Shreyas Iyer consecutively winning almost every domestic tournament, the BCCI decided to make him a part of the Champions Trophy 2025 squad, where the team genuinely needed some depth in its batting order. He delivered well, as India won the final match against New Zealand, and Shreyas Iyer ended as the top scorer for the team with 248 runs in 5 matches at an average of 48.60.
Iyer’s notable contributions in the tournament include half-centuries against Pakistan and New Zealand in the Group stage matches. Besides that, he also scored 40+ runs each in the semi-final and final match for the team, which helped India to lift the Champions Trophy 2025.
Central Contract 2024-25
Shreyas Iyer’s efforts to get noticed by the BCCI yet again went well, as he regained his spot in the Central Contract 2024-25. He marked his spot in the team after his top-notch performances in the Champions Trophy 2025, being the top scorer for India. In the BCCI’s Central Contract 2024-25, he became a part of the B category, with other players like Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, and a few more.
IPL 2025
Playing as a captain for Punjab Kings, Shreyas Iyer dominated once again in the IPL, leading his team to the final match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He has already scored 603 runs in 16 matches, which also includes a match-winning knock against the Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 2, which helped his team reach the finals.
Punjab Kings finished at the top spot in the league stages, reaching the playoffs after 11 years, and Shreyas Iyer also became the only player to lead his team to the top of the table in two consecutive seasons. And if he can defeat RCB in the final match today at the Narendra Modi Stadium, it will make him the only captain to lead two different teams to win the IPL.
Will Shreyas Iyer be able to end the Punjab Kings’ trophy drought in the IPL, or will Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinch their first title?
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