Shreyas Iyer is set to captain his third IPL final, a unique feat. Having led Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders to the finals in 2020 and 2024 respectively, he aims to secure Punjab Kings' first title.
Punjab Kings skipperShreyas Iyer is set to feature in his thirdIPL final when his side takes on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the much-anticipated title clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June 3.
Shreyas Iyer is the only player to captain three different IPL teams to the finals. Before captaining Punjab Kings to their maiden title clash since 2014, Shreyas Iyer led Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders to the finals in 2020 and 2024. Iyer won his first IPL title as a captain with KKR last year. Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru to vie for their maiden IPL title.
As the Punjab Kings gear up for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, let’s take a look at how Shreyas Iyer performed in his last two IPL finals.
25
Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians in 2020
Shreyas Iyer was the captain of Delhi Capitals when he led the side to their maiden IPL final in 2020. DC were one of the favourites to clinch the title that year after finishing second in the league and defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2. However, the Shreyas Iyer-led side failed to get hold of the coveted trophy as they lost the final by five wickets. Shreyas Iyer played an unbeaten captain’s knock of 65 off 50 balls and formed a crucial 96-run stand for the fourth wicket with Rishabh Pant (56 off 38 balls) to help the Capitals post a total of 156/7. However, the total was not enough to defend as Mumbai Indians chased down a 157-run target in 18.4 overs to clinch their fifth IPL title.
35
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2024
Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title and the first since 2014 after defeating Pat Cummins’ Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final in Chennai. With a target of a mere 114, KKR chased it down in 10.3 overs or 57 balls to spare. Shreyas Iyer walked in to bat when KKR needed just 12 runs off 67 balls to win and remained unbeaten on 6 off 7 balls, a modest contribution with the bat, but his leadership throughout was the tournament, especially in the final, was lauded as Knight Riders dominated the match from start to finish to lift the IPL 2024 trophy under his captaincy.
Punjab Kings are aiming for their maiden IPL title under Shreyas Iyer, who led two different teams to the finals, winning one and finishing runner-up in the other. Iyer is the second Punjab Kings captain after George Bailey to lead the side to the IPL final. Bailey led PBKS to the final in 2014, but lost to Kolkata Knight Riders. If Shreyas Iyer leads Punjab Kings to the title win, he will become the first captain to lead two teams to the title win, establishing a rare feat in the history of the tournament. Also, Shreyas Iyer could become the third-most successful captain in the IPL, with two IPL titles. Gautam Gambhir won two titles as a captain with KKR, while MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma won five titles each with Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, respectively.
55
Shreyas Iyer is in impressive form
Apart from leading the Punjab Kings to their second IPL final. Shreyas Iyer has significantly contributed with the bat. The 30-year-old is currently the leading run-getter for the PBKS in the IPL 2025, amassing 603 runs, including six fifties, at an average of 54.82 and an impressive strike rate of 175.80 in 16 matches. His best performance came in Punjab’s opening match against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, played a brilliant captain’s knock of 97 off 42 balls. In Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians, Iyer played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 87 off 41 balls to help the side chase down a mammoth 204-run target in 19 overs.
