Follow UsOn January 12 (Sunday), Punjab Kings (PBKS) officially unveiled Shreyas Iyer as the new captain of the franchise and the announcement did not come as a surprise.
It was Iyer’s leadership ability that played a huge hand in the Kings purchasing him for 26.75 cr at the IPL 2025 mega auction. The 30-year-old led a young Delhi Capitals (DC) side to the final in IPL 2020 and then, last year captained Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the team’s first IPL title in a decade.
He is also a very successful captain at the domestic level and, recently, led Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title.
So, what exactly makes Iyer a very good skipper?
“I hate losing, personally, and I think that's what has elevated me to where I am right now as a captain,” Iyer told ESPNCricinfo.
The 30-year-old further explained how he is the kind of leader that likes to empower his players and let them take their own decisions. Still a relatively young captain, Iyer has already built a reputation for being one of the best man managers in the country.
“I'm a liberating captain. I just let the players be. I don't have a set group [of players] who I chill with or that I love to hang out with,” he revealed.
“I will just be by myself and maybe that's my attitude and that's how I am as a person, because from the outside I don't want to be portrayed as [someone who] only gives attention to certain players in the team. I love players to be themselves.
“I don't want them to behave in any particular way. But when we are on the field, I want each and every individual to have the same mindset and the same motto: winning and contributing towards the team's benefit. That's it. I don't want anything else.”
Iyer underlined how trust is the one factor that usually brings the best out of individuals.
“When you have so much freedom, I feel that the players also understand that this particular guy is going to back me. And I am that sort of captain who believes in backing players, no matter what the situation is,” he explained.
“I love being instinctive and sometimes I take out-of-the-box calls you won't even imagine. It works for me. And I felt that it worked for me in the [2024 IPL] final as well.”
For the IPL 2025 season, PBKS will be coached by Ricky Ponting, and it will be a reunion with the Aussie great for Iyer, who worked together with the 50-year-old during his time at DC.
Iyer spoke of his relationship with Ponting and revealed how the latter gives him the freedom to take his own decisions.
“I've worked with him in the past, I know how his mindset is, and I know he gives that sort of freedom,” Iyer said.
“At the same time, when you provide freedom, there comes responsibility as well. If you are owning up to the responsibilities and putting your hand up to say that, okay, yeah, I'm the one who made that mistake, or I'm the one to bite the bullet, he would be more than welcoming.
“I know his nature - he is someone who likes a person or a player who owns up to his mistakes. That's one great thing about him. Also, T20 is such a fast-paced game, things are bound to happen. And the ones who make the least amount of mistakes are the ones who stay calm and composed. And I'm sure as a coach he provides that sort of composure to every individual.”