Sunil Gavaskar has publicly questioned the lack of recognition given to Shreyas Iyer for his pivotal role in leading the Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL 2024 title. Gavaskar pointed out that while Iyer, as captain, was instrumental both with the bat, scoring 351 runs in 14 innings, and through his leadership, much of the praise for KKR’s success was directed at others, specifically mentor Gautam Gambhir, rather than Iyer himself. He also noted that this time, with Punjab Kings, Iyer is receiving much fairer praise.
“He didn’t get the credit for last season’s IPL victory, all the plaudits went to someone else. It’s the captain who plays the major role on the field, not someone sitting in the dugout. This year, he’s finally getting fair credit, no one is giving all the credit to Ricky Ponting,” said Gavaskar on a Star Sports show.
Gavaskar emphasised that it is the captain who has the greatest influence on the field, not someone sitting in the dugout, and criticised the narrative that shifted credit away from Iyer. He contrasted this with Iyer’s current stint at Punjab Kings, where he is now receiving due recognition for his leadership and performances, highlighting that no one is giving all the credit to head coach Ricky Ponting in Punjab, unlike what happened with Gambhir at KKR.
Iyer himself has acknowledged feeling underappreciated after KKR’s 2024 triumph, stating that he did not get the recognition he wanted despite leading the team to victory. After not being retained by KKR, Iyer was bought by Punjab Kings for a record sum and has continued to excel as both captain and batter, leading Punjab to a strong position in the current IPL season.