After Punjab Kings’ eight-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, New Zealand cricketer Kane Williamson heaped praise on captain Shreyas Iyer and the way the PBKS team was shaping up. Punjab had picked up Shreyas for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore in the IPL auction, thus making him the second most-expensive player in the auction. Shreyas was coming to a franchise that had finished ninth in the IPL standings last season from the Kolkata Knight Riders, which he took to the IPL 2024 title.
And experts said that his mindset was already reflecting in the way the team was performing.
“Shreyas Iyer is moving to the beat of his own drum; he remains completely unfazed by external noise and just focuses on playing his game. He carries a real swagger, which is fantastic to see, and it seems to be infectious for the players around him,” Williamson said on JioStar. “They’ve already used around 14 players in just two games, deploying different impact players, all of whom have made a significant contribution. It’s truly impressive to see how the team is coming together.
“There’s a real buzz around the Punjab team, and many players and commentators have been discussing the balance of their squad. They certainly have a great balance, but more importantly, they are playing beautifully, complementing each other exceptionally well. At the moment, they are possibly the team to watch out for—extremely well-led.”
Talking about Shreyas’s captaincy, Piyush Chawla said: “His thought process is always different because he knows how to find ways to win. A captain’s success also depends on the setup around him, as a leader can only be as good as the players supporting him. Punjab Kings covered all their bases in the auction, assembling a well-balanced squad. Their middle order is strong—Nehal Wadhera, coming in as an impact player, played a crucial knock. When you have depth on the bench, it gives you flexibility and strong backup options. That’s why Punjab Kings are looking like a completely different team this year.”
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