“Feeling ecstatic”: Shreyas Iyer expresses gratitude as new Punjab Kings captain

New Delhi [India], January 13 (ANI): Shreyas Iyer, the newly appointed captain of Indian Premier League (IPL) team Punjab Kings (PBKS), expressed his excitement and gratitude following his appointment. Iyer thanked the fans, team owners, and coaches for placing their trust in him as captain.

In a video shared by the official X handle of Punjab Kings, Iyer said, “Feeling ecstatic. Thank you so much to the fans and the owners and the coaches for believing in me, for trusting in me as the captain. We know what the team has been through in the past few years, but this time we’ll put in our full efforts to ensure that we perform at our best level possible. Obviously, all of us would enjoy and cherish the moment together.”

He also praised the efforts of the coaches and management during the auction, highlighting their success in assembling a strong squad.

“The coaches and the management have done a brilliant job at the auction table; they’ve ticked almost all the boxes right. You’ve got a great combination of senior and junior players coming in, so there would be a lot of experience and great moments we would be sharing with each other,” he added.

Iyer, who has previously worked with coach Ricky Ponting, expressed his excitement for the upcoming season.

“Hoping to have a fantastic season with Ricky being the coach. I’ve worked with him in the past, and yeah, looking forward to the ball getting rolling,” he concluded.

In 2024, Iyer had a banner year. He was part of the Mumbai team that won the Ranji and Irani trophy. He captained Kolkata Knight Riders in their victorious 2024 IPL campaign. Under his leadership, Mumbai won their second Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy.

Punjab Kings Squad for IPL 2025:Batters: Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh (retained), Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Singh Pannu, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash.

Wicketkeepers: Josh Inglis, Vishnu Vinod, Prabhsimran Singh (retained).

All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell (spin), Marcus Stoinis (pace), Marco Jansen (pace), Harpreet Brar (spin), Azmatullah Omarzai (pace), Aaron Hardie (pace), Musheer Khan (spin), Suryansh Shedge (pace).Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, Pravin Dubey.

Fast bowlers: Arshdeep Singh (RTM), Lockie Ferguson, Yash Thakur, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett.