Follow UsShreyas Iyer shared a heartwarming memory from one of the early seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL), recalling how he once rushed onto the field as a ball boy just to shake hands with former New Zealand batter Ross Taylor.
Taylor, who represented four franchises during his IPL career, scored 1017 runs in 55 matches at an average of 25.42 and a strike rate of 123.72. His most memorable stint came with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), where he featured in the first three seasons and notched up 517 runs in 22 matches at an average of 30.41 and a strike rate of 142.
Speaking on the iQOO India podcast, Iyer revealed his admiration for Taylor. “I really liked Ross Taylor. So, during the first game, when the fireworks went off, the particles from the fireworks fell all over the ground. We had to go and pick them up. I intentionally ran up to him so that I could say hi.
"He shook my hand and then I went back while picking up the fireworks debris.”
Taylor remains one of New Zealand’s greatest ever, having played 112 Tests, 236 ODIs, and 102 T20Is between 2006 and 2022. Now 41, he recently came out of retirement to make himself available for Samoa in the upcoming Asia-East Asia-Pacific T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier in Oman. Eligible through his mother’s heritage, Taylor holds a Samoan passport and has also completed the ICC’s three-year cooling-off period for switching teams.
Iyer also recalled his early IPL loyalties, admitting that Mumbai Indians (MI) were his favourite team before he broke into the league himself. “Mumbai Indians, obviously, being from Mumbai, I used to support Mumbai.
"At the start of the IPL, in the first and second seasons, I was a ball boy. So when we played Under-14 for Mumbai, all the players who participated in the Mumbai Under-14 team were also ball boys. That’s when I got to meet a lot of cricketers.”
Fast forward to today, Iyer has carved out his own IPL legacy. Over the past two seasons, he has been in outstanding form - leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their first title in a decade in 2024, and then guiding Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the 2025 final, where they narrowly lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Despite being left out of the Asia Cup 2025 squad and the recent Test series in England, Iyer’s leadership qualities continue to be recognised. He has been appointed captain of India A for the upcoming two-match multi-day series against Australia A - a role that could mark the beginning of his resurgence in Tests.