Shreyas Iyer Approaches Milestone as PBKS Prepares for Crucial Qualifier 2 Against MI

Shreyas Iyer's Significant Milestone Ahead

Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer is on the brink of achieving a remarkable personal milestone as he gears up to lead his team against the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians (MI), in Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad. A win in this match would not only secure PBKS a place in the IPL 2025 final but also mark Iyer's 50th victory as an IPL captain, making him the fifth skipper in the league's history to reach this landmark.

This moment is crucial for Iyer and PBKS, who have shown strong performance throughout the league stage with nine victories in 13 matches. However, their momentum was disrupted by a heavy eight-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier 1. The team is determined to recover and aim for a rematch against RCB in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium.

Iyer's captaincy journey has been impressive, spanning three franchises in the IPL: Delhi Capitals (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and now PBKS. Over 85 matches as captain, he has secured 49 wins (including two Super Over victories), faced 34 losses, and had two no-results, resulting in a commendable win percentage of over 57%.

During his tenure with DC, Iyer captained in 41 matches, achieving 23 wins and 18 losses (win %: 56.09). He made history in 2020 by leading DC to their first IPL final, where they finished as runners-up to MI.

With KKR, Iyer brought home the franchise's first title in a decade last season, winning 17 out of 29 matches (with one no-result).

For PBKS, he has won 9 out of 15 matches this season, with one match affected by rain, giving him a 60% win rate.

Notably, Iyer is the only captain to have led three different teams to the IPL playoffs and the first to guide two franchises (KKR and PBKS) to top finishes in consecutive seasons.

In IPL history, only four captains have achieved 50 wins:

MS Dhoni: 136 wins (CSK, Rising Pune Supergiant)

Rohit Sharma: 87 wins (MI)

Virat Kohli: 66 wins (RCB)

Gautam Gambhir: 71 wins (DC, KKR)

Individually, Iyer has also excelled with the bat this season. In 14 matches, he has amassed 516 runs at an impressive average of 46.90 and a striking strike rate of 170.86, including five half-centuries, with his highest score being an unbeaten 97.

As Iyer leads PBKS into this high-stakes encounter against MI, all eyes will be on him to see if he can achieve his 50th IPL win and steer Punjab towards their first title opportunity.