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The Indian Premier League franchise Punjab Kings announced Shreyas Iyer as their captain for the upcoming season of the IPL starting in March, the franchise confirmed on Sunday.
The right-handed batter was roped in by the franchise at the auctions in December 2024 and will rejoin hands with head coach Ricky Ponting to lead the franchise. The 30-year-old expressed gratitude to the Punjab Kings management and said he is looking forward to working with Ponting again and aims to lead Punjab to its maiden title. "I am honoured that the team has reposed its faith in me. I am looking forward to working again with Coach Ponting. The team looks strong, with a great mix of potential and proven performers. I hope to repay the faith shown by the management to deliver our maiden title," Shreyas Iyer said as quoted by the Punjab Kings press release. Head coach Ricky said Iyer has a "great mind" for the game and his proven capabilities as captain will enable the team to deliver. "Shreyas has a great mind for the game. His proven capabilities as captain will enable the team to deliver. I have enjoyed my time with Iyer in the past in IPL, and I look forward to working with him again. With his leadership and the talent in the squad, I am excited about the seasons ahead," the two-time World Cup-winning captain said as quoted by the release. Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon said that Iyer's vision for the team aligns perfectly with the goals of the franchise. "We had identified Shreyas as our captain and were delighted with the auction result. He has already proven himself to master the format, and his vision for the team aligns perfectly with our goals. With him and Ponting joining hands again, we are confident our team has a solid leadership group to guide us to our first title." In 2024, Iyer had a banner year. He was part of the Mumbai team that won the Ranji and Irani trophy. He captained Kolkata Knight Riders in their victorious 2024 IPL campaign. Under his leadership, Mumbai won their second Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. Punjab Kings Squad for IPL 2025: Batters: Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh (retained), Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Singh Pannu, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash. Wicketkeepers: Josh Inglis, Vishnu Vinod, Prabhsimran Singh (retained). All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell (spin), Marcus Stoinis (pace), Marco Jansen (pace), Harpreet Brar (spin), Azmatullah Omarzai (pace), Aaron Hardie (pace), Musheer Khan (spin), Suryansh Shedge (pace). Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, Pravin Dubey. Fast bowlers: Arshdeep Singh (RTM), Lockie Ferguson, Yash Thakur, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett. (ANI)
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