Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer revealed that he will be batting at number three in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He also lauded head coach Ricky Ponting ahead of the new season.
Newly-appointed Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer revealed his batting position for IPL 2025. The current IPL-winning captain revealed that he will bat batting at number three as he wants to use the platform to script a comeback in the Indian T20 side. He mentioned that there were no such discussions regarding his batting position as the cricketer himself was sure about it and only needed coach Ricky Ponting’s approval.
“We already know that IPL is an integral part of Indian cricket. And If I would want to mark myself at some position in T20, it would be number 3. And that’s what I’m focusing at. I wouldn’t say that we are planning and thinking about what number I will be batting. This time I’m quite clear about that position. And I’m going to be focusing on that number as long as the coach approves of me,” Iyer said at the season-opening media interaction.
Shreyas played his last T20I match against Australia in 2023. Since he was dropped from the BCCI contract, the 30-year-old hasn’t been considered for T20 internationals. In the IPL 2024, he was in terrific rhythm, scoring 351 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 146.86. He led the team to victory and since then, Shreyas has also done tremendously well in the ODI format.
Meanwhile, he reunited with former coach Ricky Ponting at PBKS. The duo has worked together in Delhi Capitals, during which, the team qualified for the final but lost to Mumbai Indians. Speaking about working with him again, Shreyas stated that the former Australia international gives him tremendous confidence and also supports everyone in the team.
“I’ve worked with him for almost three years in a franchise. And I know how he thinks about every individual on and off the field. He supports everyone. You see in some places there is a senior-junior culture. But when I worked with him for the first time, he made me feel like I’m a great player. And I can easily excel in this format. So, the confidence he gives is of a different level,” Shreyas said.
