Ahmedabad: Out of the 11 batsmen who have scored more than 500 runs this season, Nicolas Pooran is the only one with a higher strike rate than Shreyas Iyer's 175.80. Iyer is just sixth in the Orange Cap standings, but does he care? Does he have to?

In the first game of the season, the captain of the Punjab Kings demonstrated his disdain for personal fame by choosing to bat 97* and see Shashank Singh hit some hearty blows in the last over to raise the team total. Only because so many people would have ranked individual landmarks higher than the team would it have become a headlining act.

In T20 cricket, putting the needs of the team ahead of oneself is a necessity, and Iyer's selfless deed would establish an early indication of his view of what it would take to win the game.

Iyer has led the Punjab Kings to within a whisker of winning the trophy after Sunday night's spectacular destruction of the Mumbai Indians bowlers, which will go down in the annals of the IPL as the most decisive performance in the franchise's trophy-less history.

Iyer is the only captain, in my opinion, to lead three different franchises—Delhi Capitals and KKR being the other two—to three different finals.

Iyer the batter and Iyer the captain are both there. And it's hard to say whether he has had a greater influence in either of his two positions. Without Iyer's capable leadership, Punjab would not have come this far, even though Ricky Ponting has given the captain his trust and authority. after losing Glenn Maxwell and Lockie Ferguson early, not with their inexperienced playing group.

"He knows his work, doesn't get easily upset, and stays quite cool. James Hopes, assistant coach for PBKS, remarked that he is an excellent skipper to have.

The captain's gut decision to choose Azmatullah Omarzai to bowl the death overs against MI – he chose two wickets – over Vijaykumar Vyshak, who had had a great day, was highlighted by the hopes. Earlier in the competition, there have been many more comparable cases as well.

A captain making his own decisions in a style that is heavily influenced by coaching and data might go a long way toward winning over the locker room. Chandrakant Pandit, Iyer's former head coach at KKR, had made the same observation.

The stylish batter has been motivated throughout this year's campaign by KKR's decision not to accept his asking price in advance of the auction. The overwhelming presence of mentor Gautam Gambhir and an abundance of match winners were features of KKR's successful 2024 season. Iyer, however, has shown his strategic decision-making and talent in bringing out the best in Punjab's young Indian core at PBKS.

Iyer has already made a compelling argument for a T20I recall, regardless of the outcome of the championship game. However, the 30-year-old would be aware that he is partly to blame if India isn't a lock in other formats outside ODIs.

Iyer has never achieved the statistics he has this year. He has never before had a season with over 600 runs. His strike rate has never before exceeded 150. With his knock against MI, he actually grew in stature. Iyer was 17 (13b) at the midway point of PBKS's attempt to chase down 204. Iyer scored an additional 70 in 28 balls at the business end of the run case.

"I was in that zone where if they throw anywhere, I am going to hit for six," Iyer said to Ponting on the IPL website.

Iyer's class in the run chase would have made Virat Kohli proud, whether it was the three straight sixes he hit against Reece Topley, the angular precision with which he directed Trent Boult's yorkers to the third man boundary, or the amazing ease with which he would replicate the dose against a near perfect Jasprit Bumrah yorker targeted at middle stump.

His nonchalant gum-chewing celebration that followed the victory should be included. It showed that the task was far from finished.

Iyer might be in such a great mood that he wouldn't be able to rejoice until they overcame the last obstacle. The brief interaction between the captain and coach that was captured on film is the best way to comprehend it.

"We have only finished half of our work," Iyer said to Ponting. "We have to refresh, rejuvenate, get a massage, and return fresh in the next game."

Iyer remarked, 'The next game,' as opposed to 'the last'.

“If you keep batting like that, mate, this team will be difficult to beat,” Ponting predicted.

Read Also: IPL 2025 Final Preview: Decoding the RCB vs PBKS Clash

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