Shreyas Iyer, captain of Punjab Kings (PBKS), has set his sights on going one step further in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 after last year’s runners-up finish. The India ODI vice-captain, who guided PBKS to only their second final and third playoff appearance, said he is embracing both the challenge and expectations surrounding the team.
Iyer also opened up about a difficult phase in his career, revealing he lost seven kilograms after suffering a ruptured spleen during India’s tour of Australia last October. Following surgery and a recovery period of over two months, he made his return for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy before featuring in the ODI series against New Zealand national cricket team in January.
“Expectations are high, which is fun. I love the challenge. But the important thing is that whenever we step in, we have to win. My eye is on the trophy,” Shreyas said at the team’s official jersey launch event as quoted by Cricbuzz.
“It is always challenging to come back after an injury. I had lost around seven kilos and it took a lot of effort to gain that weight back. But I love challenges. I am glad I overcame that part of my life, and I am back here proudly representing the team,” he said.
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PBKS fell short by six runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final of the IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad. Iyer enjoyed a standout campaign, scoring 604 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07. His unbeaten 87 against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2 was a highlight. PBKS will begin their IPL 2026 campaign with a home clash against Gujarat Titans (GT) in New Chandigarh on March 31.
Arshdeep Singh echoed his captain’s confidence, emphasising the importance of strong home support in Mullanpur for PBKS. Reflecting on his journey, the left-arm pacer credited the franchise’s management for showing faith in him early in his career, which played a key role in his development into a regular member of India.
“When you feel the pressure, it is a privilege. It is a lot of fun when you get so much support from the crowd. When people cheer for you, you feel that 30,000 people are running in with you at that time. We will try our best to win all our home matches this year,” Arshdeep said as quoted by Economic Times.
“The journey has been amazing. When I came here for the first time, they gave me full support and showed me my potential. They trusted me a lot when no other team did. I really appreciate that, and I want to stay here for a long time. I am looking forward to winning a lot of trophies for the team,” he added.
