Indirect Dig At Gautam Gambhir? Sunil Gavaskar Makes Explosive KKR Comment

Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes that Shreyas Iyer has not received the recognition he deserves for leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the IPL title. Although Shreyas Iyer led KKR to their third IPL championship, the franchise released him before the IPL 2025 mega auction, and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) picked him up afterward. While many credited KKR’s success to team mentor Gautam Gambhir, Gavaskar insists people should acknowledge the captain more than someone who stayed in the dugout. In addition to his leadership, Iyer also contributed with the bat, scoring 351 runs in 14 innings at an average of 39, including two half-centuries.

“He didn’t get the credit for the IPL victory last season. All the plaudits were given to someone else. It’s the captain, who plays a major role in what’s happening in the middle and not someone sitting in the dugout,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

This year, under Shreyas, PBKS are on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs. The team last finished in the top four back in 2014, eventually losing to KKR in the final.

Gavaskar is glad to see Shreyas getting all the praise this season, instead of PBKS head coach Rickey Ponting.

“See, this year he’s getting fair credit. No one is giving all the credit to Ricky Ponting,” he added.

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Sunil Gavaskar Praises Shreyas Iyer’s Impact as PBKS Captain Under Ponting, Hails Him as Key to Team’s Revival

Shreyas was acquired by PBKS in last year’s mega auction for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore. So far, PBKS’ move to break their bank for Iyer has paid off – the right-handed batter has amassed 405 runs in 11 games at an average of 50.63, including hitting four fifties.

As a captain, and having Ricky Ponting in the dugout as their head coach, Iyer has been astute and proactive in his leadership, resulting in PBKS being on 15 points in third place in the points table. The side needs two wins out of their three remaining games to seal a spot in the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 IPL.

Iyer and coach Ponting had worked together at Delhi Capitals previously, where they managed to enter the playoffs in the 2019 season, before becoming runners-up in the 2020 edition. Now reunited at the PBKS set-up, the Iyer-Ponting partnership has resurrected the side’s fortunes in such a brilliant fashion that they are now on the verge of entering the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.

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