Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer has lauded the “fearless nature” of his young squad, following their journey to the IPL 2025 final. Although they were bested by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by a slim margin of six runs in Ahmedabad, Iyer highlighted the commendable efforts of his team.
“I am very proud of each and every individual who has participated in the team,” Iyer stated after the match, marking his first season as captain. “And a lot of youngsters who have played their first season and the fearless nature that they showed, it was simply phenomenal. I keep on saying the same thing again and again but hats off to every individual who has been here, who has contributed as support staff, management. I think without them, we wouldn’t have reached so far. So kudos to them. And also, you know, job is still half done and we have to receive the trophy next year.”
Reflecting on the positives of the season, which saw PBKS finish top of the table with 19 points, Iyer commented on the team’s resilience: “Definitely, the way we turned up to every game, every individual stepping up at the right time and saying that I can win the match. There are so many youngsters in the team. I think they have gained a lot of experience out of these matches. And I’m sure that next year when they come, they’ll be having immense experience with them. And with that, we can build the tactics and strategies around so that we can play some decent cricket around.”
A key highlight of PBKS’s campaign was the remarkable performances of players who are yet to make their international debuts. These included openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, middle-order batsmen Shashank Singh and Nehal Wadhera, left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar, and pace bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak.
Post-final, Iyer speculated that a target of 200 would have been on par, indicating that their chase of 191 was within reach. He praised Krunal Pandya’s spell, noting, “phenomenal” efforts – the left-arm spinner took two crucial wickets and conceded just 17 runs in his four overs, removing Prabhsimran and Josh Inglis.
“Considering the game we played last against MI (where PBKS chased down 204), I personally felt that 200 was a par score,” said Iyer. “But they bowled brilliantly, especially Krunal, the way he came in. He carries a lot of experience. He has done it over a period of time. And even today, the way he bowled, it was simply phenomenal. And I think that was the turning point.”
As PBKS looks forward to future seasons, Iyer’s leadership and the young squad’s development leave room for optimism in the challenging arena of top-tier cricket.
