Shreyas Iyer needs to ‘mark’ himself at quantity three this IPL

Having carried out the function of a “silent hero” at quantity 4 within the title-winning Champions Trophy marketing campaign, Shreyas Iyer needs to make a huge impact at quantity three place on this Indian Premier League season.

Iyer is just not a part of India’s T20 arrange however a productive debut season for Punjab Kings may revive his worldwide profession within the shortest format.

Additionally Learn : Champions Trophy 2025 | Shreyas Iyer grabs his ‘blessing’ with each arms

He captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the title final season the place he batted within the middle-order.

With Punjab Kings, an underperforming franchise since IPL’s inception in 2008, Iyer feels no strain of main the staff and simply needs to win one other trophy.

“We already know that IPL is an integral a part of Indian cricket. And If I might wish to mark myself at some place in T20, it will be quantity 3. And that is what I am focusing at. I would not say that we’re planning and fascinated by what quantity I can be batting.

“This time I am fairly clear about that place. And I’ll be specializing in that quantity. So long as coach approves of me,” Iyer stated on the season opening media interplay seated alongside head coach Ricky Ponting.

Contemporary from a profitable Champions Trophy, Iyer is happy about his reunion with Ponting. They each labored collectively at Delhi Capitals.

“I’ve labored with him for nearly three years in a franchise. And I understand how he thinks about each particular person on and off the sphere. He helps everybody. You see in some locations there’s a senior-junior tradition.

“However after I labored with him for the primary time, he made me really feel like I am an incredible participant. And I can simply excel on this format. So, the boldness he offers is of a unique degree,” Iyer stated.

“And it feels good to work with him. If, for instance the outcome has gone right here and there, his thoughts would not fluctuate. He thinks in the identical approach. And he simply likes to win.”

And what his shared purpose of the partnership with the Australian legend? “The significance is to win the trophy. There isn’t any strain (of Punjab having by no means gained the IPL). It is a chance,” stated Iyer.

Was determined to work with Iyer

Ponting was all reward for Iyer on the media interplay. Punjab had retained solely two gamers forward of the mega public sale the place they constructed a squad stuffed with match winners together with Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell and Marco Jansen.

“I used to be determined to work with Shreyas once more. We had an incredible working relationship at Delhi over a protracted time frame. He is the most effective gamers that I’ve labored with,” the previous Australia captain stated.

“He is an incredible human being. He is an IPL successful captain. You could not ask for way more. He is solely joined the camp a few days in the past. So he is beginning to make his mark on the staff as a captain and as a pacesetter.

“We have put an incredible squad collectively. As you understand, captain-coach relationship in any staff is significant. And I do know that we have got a extremely good robust one right here,” stated Ponting.

The Australian nice harassed on the significance of successful at house, one thing Punjab Kings haven’t been capable of do in recent times.

“What I perceive is that in case you are not successful at house, you aren’t successful the IPL,” Ponting put it in easy phrases.

“It is one of many primary causes that I am sitting right here now. I wished a extremely robust teaching problem. And we have that. However there isn’t any strain on us. What have we received to lose? (having by no means gained).

“We will exit and play a extremely dynamic and entertaining model of cricket. And I do know we have the gamers that may try this.”

Punjab Kings play Gujarat Titans of their IPL opener in Ahmedabad on March 25.