Shreyas Iyer has stamped his authority with a breathtaking display of power-hitting in Punjab Kings' opening match in IPL 2025. His powerful knock of an unbeaten 97 off just 42 deliveries was key to of Punjab Kings' thrilling 11-run victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The innings, studded with five boundaries and nine towering sixes, saw Iyer lift his team to a formidable 243/6 before PBKS successfully defended the total, restricting GT to 232/5.
Iyer’s explosive knock didn’t go unnoticed, with former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly showering praise on the 30-year-old. Taking to social media, Ganguly hailed Iyer as the ‘most improved batsman’ over the past year, emphasizing his evolution into a player fit for all three formats of international cricket.
“Shreyas Iyer the most improved batsman in last 1 yr .. ready for all formats. Great to see his improvement after a few issues on length,” Ganguly posted on X.
Iyer's rough 2024
Despite being a mainstay in India’s ODI setup, Iyer’s position in Tests and T20Is has remained inconsistent. He was controversially dropped from the Test team in early 2024 but made a strong domestic comeback in the Ranji Trophy. He played a key role in the knock-out stages of the domestic tournament to steer Mumbai to the Ranji title in the 2023/24 season and further improved his credentials by leading Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title in the same year.
{{/usCountry}}Despite being a mainstay in India’s ODI setup, Iyer’s position in Tests and T20Is has remained inconsistent. He was controversially dropped from the Test team in early 2024 but made a strong domestic comeback in the Ranji Trophy. He played a key role in the knock-out stages of the domestic tournament to steer Mumbai to the Ranji title in the 2023/24 season and further improved his credentials by leading Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title in the same year.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this year, Iyer showcased brilliant form in the fifty-over format to help guide India to the Champions Trophy title.
Performances like the one against GT on Tuesday night could be his ticket to reclaiming a permanent spot across formats.
Reflecting on his sensational innings, Iyer was visibly elated. “Ecstatic, to be honest. Getting 97* in the first match is always the icing on the cake. No better feeling to be honest. It was important for me to go ahead and adapt. I got four off the first ball, and that gave an immense boost,” he said in the post-match presentation.
With momentum on his side, Iyer will now turn his attention to Punjab Kings’ next challenge – a showdown against Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants on April 1 in Lucknow.