Shreyas Iyer etched his name into the annals of cricket history on Sunday, June 1, by becoming the first captain in IPL history to take three different franchises to the final. Leading Punjab Kings in the 2025 season, Iyer delivered a masterclass under pressure during the second qualifier against Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Chasing a daunting target of 204, Iyer anchored the innings with a sensational unbeaten knock of 87 off just 41 balls. His innings was laced with five boundaries and eight towering sixes, guiding Punjab Kings to victory with five wickets in hand and an over to spare. With that, PBKS secured a coveted spot in the IPL 2025 final.
Iyer’s leadership journey in the IPL began with Delhi Capitals in 2018. He led them to their first-ever final in 2020, where they finished as runners-up. Later, he captained Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2022 and 2024 seasons, clinching the title with them last year.
By reaching the final with Punjab Kings, Shreya Iyer joins elite company—becoming only the fourth captain after MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik Pandya to feature in back-to-back IPL finals. However, he stands alone as the only captain to do so with two different teams in consecutive years.
With this historic feat, Iyer and his Punjab Kings are now set to face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2025 final on Tuesday, June 3. The final showdown, also at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, promises high drama, especially with PBKS having won just one of their three encounters against RCB this season.
