Leading by Example

IT WAS EARLY November 2024 and much talk ahead of the retentions was about Shreyas Iyer. Will Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retain him or let him go? He was the title-winning captain and the fact that he would be retained was a no-brainer. Not so with Kolkata. They had multiple match winners in the team and there was no clarity on Iyer’s fate in KKR. With the franchise tight-lipped till the very last minute, there was widespread specula­tion on what was going on. Eventually, he was let go and franchise CEO Venky Mysore clarified in an interview to me that despite wanting to have Iyer with them, things did not quite work out. It was evident to one and all that the parting wasn’t pleasant and Shreyas had moved on with a point to prove. He wasn’t given much credit for the title win and it was Gautam Gambhir who was perceived to be the star for KKR. In fact, Gambhir was appointed coach of India on the back of the IPL title win and was celebrated the country over for doing a star turn with Kolkata.

Iyer was then picked by Punjab for a whopping ₹26.75 crore and paired up with Ricky Ponting, with whom he always shared an excellent rapport. He was paid just ₹25 lakh less than Rishabh Pant and was the second-most costly player in IPL history. Punjab soon announced him as captain and the Iyer journey in IPL 2025 started from there.

From the very start of the campaign, it looked as if Iyer was in control. In fact, at no point did Punjab look like not making it to the playoffs. They started well and despite a couple of mid-season hiccups, it was a relatively smooth campaign. Taking bold calls, like opening with Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, set them apart and with the bat, Iyer was in red-hot form. With the ball, Arshdeep was a stellar act, and time and again, Yuzvendra Chahal, too, stepped up for Iyer, in­cluding one magical spell against Kolkata.

In the semifinal against Mumbai, Iyer just blazed away. In fact, that one shot off Jasprit Bumrah could well be the highlight of the tournament. It was the perfect yorker on middle stump and Iyer, somehow, managed to move away and angle his bat to make contact. To the dismay of every Mumbai Indian (MI) player, the ball raced to the third-man fence. It was an impossible shot played to perfection and that’s when it seemed Punjab could take MI down. Iyer did not relent and stayed on to finish the game taking his team to the final.

Ahead of the final too, Iyer kept it simple. He never for once said that it was just another game. Rather, he said at the toss that it was indeed a big final and they’d play it like that. This was a sort of acceptance that was much needed. Punjab needed to accept the occasion and soak it all in. That’s the best way to handle pressure and Shreyas did just that. You can’t just say an Olympic Games, for example, is just another competition. It isn’t. It is the Olympic Games and the vibe is different. An IPL final is one of the biggest games of the cricket calen­dar and to be in denial doesn’t help.

From the very start of the final as well, Iyer seemed in control. He managed to keep Kohli in check and not once did he let the mas­ter batter take charge. Even when Jitesh Sharma was blazing away, he looked unflustered. It is natural that he would have been nervous in­side. But on the outside, he did not show it and that’s what stood out. If the skipper is in control, the dugout gets a strong vibe and it certainly worked for Punjab for a period in the final.

That’s when the mistake happened. With the bat, Iyer wasn’t able to deliver. He came in at 72-2 with the match in the balance. He had to be there and take the game deep. Set things up for the middle order to close it out. Sadly for him, he failed. He edged one to Jitesh and it was his dismissal that was the turning point. Five overs of Iyer and Punjab could have had the game. It wasn’t to be and RCB closed it out.

Even without the title, it has been a stellar campaign for Punjab. As Ricky Ponting said, this was a season of complete reboot. Making the fi­nal is a clear index they are on the right track. While it is always a collective that wins, Shreyas deserves a lot of credit for this effort. Unlike in 2024, it is his moment and he will indeed be cel­ebrated the country over for leading his side to the final. And it is a grim reminder to KKR that it was a poor call to let him go. A mistake that could continue to haunt them in the future as well.

For Shreyas, it can only get better from here on. He will have the same team with him for two more years and Priyansh and Prabhsimran will only get better. They are both young and forged the most successful opening partner­ship this IPL and it augurs well for Punjab go­ing forward. Josh Inglis has proved to be a stel­lar recruit and Marcus Stoinis still has a year or two of top cricket left in him. Nehal Wadhera, his failure in the final notwithstanding, has been one of the finds of IPL. Shreyas clearly has a team that will only get better.

It would not be wrong to suggest that Shreyas, basis his IPL efforts, should indeed be considered for a leadership role in the Indian white-ball set­up. He is at the top of his game at the moment and with so much white-ball cricket coming up, he can indeed play a strong hand for India. He is calm, composed and has an astute leadership brain. Had he not, he wouldn’t have been able to lead KKR to a title and Punjab to the final.

While IPL and its aftermath have all been about Virat Kohli and how he has finally managed to lay his hands on the trophy, it is equally true that Shreyas Iyer should be celebrated for all that he has done. He has elevated himself as a leader and has added much to his stature as a cricketer. While none of us can predict what the future holds, suffice it to say that this IPL has in­deed given Shreyas the push to make a strong pitch for a leadership role in the Indian white-ball setup. And for Punjab, as Ricky Ponting said, 12 months down the line, it could indeed be their time. With Shreyas as the leader, it is possible.

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