Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif showered praise on Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer after his consistent performances in IPL 2025. PBKS claimed a seven-wicket win against Mumbai Indians at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur on Monday to seal their top-two position in the standings.
PBKS ended the league phase with nine wins in 14 matches with four losses and one no-result. Iyer has played an instrumental role in the success of the Mohali-based franchise as he has led from the front. The right-hander from Mumbai has scored 514 runs in 14 matches at an impressive average of 51.40 and a strike rate of 171.91.
Kaif noted that Iyer was not retained by Kolkata Knight Riders despite him leading the franchise to glory in IPL 2024. Furthermore, Iyer hasn’t been included in India’s 18-man Test squad for the tour of England but Kaif said the Mumbai batter has let his bat do all the talking.
Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube Channel, “If young players are searching for a role model, look no further than Shreyas Iyer. He was ignored from Test matches; his name did not come. So, what does Iyer do? He says, ‘no issues. Fine, I won’t say a word, won’t say in the media that I am sad or upset’. He said, ‘No, I captained KKR – there too I was stabbed in the back’. Still did not get retained’. He has moved on.”
“Just keep quiet and let your bat do the talking. Look at him now. The entire world is singing his praises. He has taken Punjab Kings to No. 1 on the points table. That’s the kind of hero one should have.”
Kaif highlighted that Sai Sudharsan has been picked after his consistent performances in the IPL whereas Iyer has been ignored. Sudharsan has an average of 39 in first-class cricket, whereas Iyer averaged 68 in the Ranji Trophy 2024 season.
“Sai Sudharsan is a brilliant player, no doubt. But he was picked in the Test squad after a good IPL season (679 runs and counting). Iyer, meanwhile, has been doing well for so long. He scored some 550 runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup and in the Champions Trophy as well. He is still doing a terrific job with the bat for Punjab Kings – 514 runs and counting. He is captaining too. So on one hand, you are considering white-ball criteria for one player and not for the other,” said Kaif.
Punjab Kings will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first qualifier at Chandigarh on Thursday.
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