India’s middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer opened up his journey over tough times last year and highlighted how his contributions often go unnoticed.
Under his captaincy, Kolkata Knight Riders clinched their third title during the IPL 2024 season. However, he was not retained by the franchise and joined PBKS for a record-breaking price of INR 26.75 crore, and was appointed as Punjab Kings Captain.
During the 2024 season, Shreyas Iyer played 14 matches and made 351 runs at an average of 39.00 and a strike rate of 146.86.
“Frustration toh nahi tha because I was playing IPL. The major focus was to win the IPL and thankfully I won it.”
“I personally felt I didn’t get the recognition I wanted to win the IPL but at the end of the long as you have self-integrity and you keep doing the right things when no one is watching, that is more important and that is what I kept doing,” Said Shreyas Iyer.
Shreyas Iyer has made an impressive comeback with his consistent performances in the Champions Trophy 2025. In five matches, he made 243 runs including a crucial 79 knock against New Zealand in final group stage match.
“Whenever I am in that low phase of life, very few people message me. They are Pravin Amre sir, Abhishek Nayar and Sagar, and there are a few other people who supported me a lot during that time, and I will always keep them with me,” said Shreyas Iyer.
Shreyas Iyer once again stepped up when India was in trouble following early dismissals of Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. His composure has led the side to unbeaten title run in the Champions Trophy campaign.
“They are normal when everything is fine but even nicer when I am undergoing that low period. I appreciate that kind of mentality, and you will grow if you have such people around me,” Iyer added.
The star batter was snubbed from BCCI’s central contract list three months after making an impressive campaign in 2023 ODI World Cup.
“To be honest, it has been a journey, and I have learnt a lot in this phase of my life where I got out of the contract after playing the 2023 ODI World Cup. I reassessed where I went wrong, what I should be doing, how well I need to focus on my fitness,” Shreyas Iyer said.
“Once I got continuous matches in domestic cricket, I figured out how important fitness was for me, especially when I raised my concerns at the start of the year.”
“Overall, I am extremely happy with myself… the way I came out of this, the way I handled the situation and most importantly, I believed in myself,” Iyer added.
With IPL is set to begin on March 22, Punjab Kings will play their first match against Gujarat Giants on March 25 at Narendra Modi Stadium.
