Shreyas Iyer, who led the Kolkata Knight Riders to their second Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2024, has been named as the new Punjab Kings skipper ahead of the upcoming season of the cash-rich league. This makes the Mumbai right-hander, the first Indian player to lead three different IPL franchises, including his previous captaincy stint at the Delhi Capitals.

Iyer, who became the second-most expensive buy after being bought by the Punjab Kings for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore at the IPL mega auction in November, also remains the only captain in IPL history to lead two different franchises to the tournament’s final. Besides leading KKR, he also led the Delhi Capitals to the IPL final in the 2020 edition.

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Ever since the inception of the IPL in 2008, only two players have captained three different franchises in the tournament. Sri Lankan batting great Mahela Jayawardene and Australian run-machine Steve Smith remain the only players to have led three different IPL teams in the past. While Mahela began his IPL captaincy stint with Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), followed by stints at now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Delhi Capitals, Smith has been at the helm of the now-defunct Pune Warriors India, Rising Pune Super Giants, and Rajasthan Royals.

Iyer’s association with the Punjab franchise also entrusts him with the responsibility of breaking the title jinx for the franchise. The Punjab Kings franchise has been led by 16 captains so far since 2008, and the best they have so far achieved is reaching the IPL final in 2014, and Iyer would have his task cut out when he takes charge from March 21.

“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,” he said.

At PBKS, the 30-year-old Iyer will reunite with former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who was appointed the team’s head coach for four years. The pair had a successful partnership as coach-captain for DC, which Ponting said was a key factor behind PBKS bidding so fiercely for Iyer at the auction.

Ponting also dropped strong hints about appointing Iyer as captain after the mega auction. “I wanted to work with Shreyas,” Ponting told Star Sports after the auction. “I’ve worked with him before and he is a great guy and a great player. He’ll be a great leader for our team if we decide to go that way, which I’m pretty sure we probably will. And obviously, he was the championship-winning captain last year. So there are lots of great things about bringing him to Punjab.”

After Iyer’s official unveiling as the new PBKS captain, Ponting said, “Shreyas has a great mind for the game. 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.”

Iyer, who led his domestic side Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season, finished fourth among the tournament’s leading run-getters with 345 runs, including a century, in nine innings at a strike rate of 188.52 and an average of over 49.