Shreyas Iyer is about to make a big milestone as he takes the field for the Punjab Kings in their IPL 2025 opener against the Gujarat Titans on Tuesday, 25 March.
The talented batter, who was signed by the Punjab Kings for a huge Rs 26.75 crore in the mega auction, was immediately given the responsibility of leading the team. With this, Iyer will become only the second Indian cricketer to achieve a rare IPL captaincy record.
A Unique Captaincy Record
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Shreyas Iyer will now be one of the few Indian players to have captained three teams in the IPL. The Mumbai-born superstar previously led the Delhi Capitals, guiding them to an IPL very last, and later captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to their win in 2024. Now he is leading Punjab Kings and joins the elite list in IPL history.
Joins Ajinkya Rahane in Elite List
Shreyas Iyer joins Ajinkya Rahane as the only two Indian players to lead three different IPL teams. Rahane reached this milestone earlier this season when he captained Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Legendary players like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni have been long-term captains but only led one or two teams. Kohli captained RCB, while Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiants. Former Indian captains Gautam Gambhir and Sourav Ganguly also captained two teams but never reached the three-team mark.
Players Who Have Led Three IPL Teams
Iyer now becomes the fifth player overall in IPL history to lead three different teams. He joins an exclusive club that includes two Sri Lankan greats and an Australian legend:
Kumar Sangakkara
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- Punjab Kings
- Deccan Chargers
- Sunrisers Hyderabad
Mahela Jayawardene
- Punjab Kings
- Kochi Tuskers Kerala
- Delhi Capitals
Steve Smith
- Pune Warriors India
- Rising Pune Supergiants
- Rajasthan Royals
Ajinkya Rahane
- Rising Pune Supergiants
- Rajasthan Royals
- Kolkata Knight Riders
Shreyas Iyer
- Delhi Capitals
- Kolkata Knight Riders
- Punjab Kings
Also Read: Born in Pakistan, Going to Play for New Zealand: The Story of Muhammad Abbas
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