Captain of Punjab Kings, Shreyas Iyer (Image Credit: IPL)
Shreyas Iyer is on the verge of a major IPL milestone as he prepares to captain Punjab Kings in his 100th Indian Premier League match as skipper during the clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Dharamsala.Iyer’s captaincy journey has spanned three IPL franchises: Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings. So far, he has captained Delhi in 41 matches, while leading KKR and PBKS in 29 matches each.Heading into his landmark 100th game, Iyer has registered 56 wins as captain, including two Super Over victories, while suffering 40 defeats. Three matches ended without a result. His impressive win percentage of 58.3 places him level with Dhoni for the joint-best win percentage among IPL captains across completed matches. Over the years, Iyer has established himself as one of the competition’s most successful leaders. He remains the only captain in IPL history to guide three different franchises into an IPL final.He first led Delhi Capitals to the 2020 final against Mumbai Indians before taking KKR to the title-winning campaign in 2024 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Last season, he also guided Punjab Kings to the final against RCB.Once he walks out for the toss, Iyer will become only the fifth captain in IPL history to complete 100 matches as skipper, joining an elite list featuring MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.Apart from his leadership credentials, Iyer has continued to deliver with the bat. Recently, he became only the second captain in IPL history after KL Rahul to score over 1,000 IPL runs as captain for two different franchises, achieving the feat for both Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings. The milestone fixture arrives at a crucial stage of Punjab’s season. After an impressive unbeaten stretch earlier in the tournament, PBKS have slipped into a difficult run with five consecutive defeats, putting their playoff hopes under serious pressure.Iyer has made 396 runs in 11 matches at an average of 49.50 and a strike rate of 164.31, with five fifties, but his second-half performances have been largely poor during these five losses. Except for a fine 59 against DC, Iyer has scored just 4, 5, 19 and a sluggish 30 in the remainder of his matches. Across these five losses, he has made just 117 runs at an average of 23.40.
Will Shreyas Iyer lead Punjab Kings to the playoffs this season?
As Punjab aim to revive their campaign, Iyer’s 100th match as IPL captain could become both a personal landmark and a defining moment in PBKS’ playoff battle.
