December 21, 2024: Shreyas Iyer, the latest and costliest acquisition of Punjab Kings, is “super excited” to be a part of the franchise and is optimistic about delivering results from the very first match of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Iyer, who was bought for a whopping ₹26.75 crore at the IPL Auctions, has had a remarkable year in cricket. He started the year as part of the Mumbai team that won the Ranji Trophy for a record 42nd time. He then captained Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title and was also part of the Irani Cup-winning Mumbai team. To add to his success, he led Mumbai to victory in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), their second SMAT title of the season.
Reflecting on his triumphs, Iyer shared his excitement in a video posted on Punjab Kings’ official social media handles, saying, “Surreal feeling after winning Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. A lot of hard work took place behind the scenes. The boys were tremendous with their performance. Now we are done with this part.”
However, the Mumbai cricketer is now shifting his focus to a new challenge — bringing a maiden IPL trophy to Punjab Kings. Expressing his enthusiasm for joining the franchise, Iyer added, “Super excited to be part of Punjab Kings. I cannot wait to join the Punjab Kings family. It’s been a great year for me to win four trophies. My main goal is to win the IPL trophy for Punjab.”
Iyer, who has previously played under the guidance of former Australia World Cup-winning Captain Ricky Ponting at KKR, is eager to continue working with the legendary coach. Earlier this year, Punjab Kings appointed Ponting as their new Head Coach, and Iyer is looking forward to the collaboration.
“I can understand what the feelings must be among the fans. With Ricky coming in, we have shared a great camaraderie from the past. We would be putting our thinking caps on and brainstorming on many aspects. Hopefully, we will deliver from the match one,” said Iyer.
With a stellar year behind him and an optimistic approach towards the IPL 2024 season, Iyer is determined to make an impact at Punjab Kings and help the franchise claim their first-ever IPL title. Fans of the Kings are eagerly awaiting the synergy between Iyer and Ricky Ponting, as they hope for a fresh chapter in the franchise’s journey.
