Punjab Kings faced a shocking 8-wicket defeat in the Qualifier 1 match of IPL 2025 against RCB in Mullanpur on Thursday. However, they won over the Mumbai Indians in the Qualifier 2 match on Sunday in Ahmedabad and advanced to the final, where they will face RCB as well.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, former India player Anjum Chopra stated that the reason for PBKS’ success is their all-round performance and Shreyas Iyer’s role as a captain.
“We are focusing on Punjab Kings is because they reached the playoffs after 11 years. The kind of the game they have played is that they shone through the entire season. It’s not like that they lost one-sided matches or they had a very poor in the league stage,” Anjum told NDTV.
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“So, PBKS as a franchise have caught everyone’s attention because of their all-round play. Even Shreyas or Ponting would say the same that it was not just one man’s contribution, which led to team’s success. Yes, Shreyas Iyer as a captain, as a batter, has played a massive role and is definitely worth a mention but if you ask him, he will never say, ‘It is because of me’,” she further added.
However, ever since PBKS made it to the playoffs, many fans took to social media and slammed Kolkata Knight Riders for not retaining Shreyas Iyer and not giving proper credit to him for their title win in 2024 as well. Anjum Chopra also said that despite not getting retained, it is a player’s job to perform as well.
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“It is between the franchise and the player. If they didn’t retain him and he went somewhere else, then it doesn’t mean that Shreyas has no right to succeed in his career. It is absolutely unfair. KKR had a chance to retain but they didn’t, so he went somewhere else,” again said Anjum.
“But, Shreyas is still a player. Whether he plays for KKR or PBKS, his job is only to perform and score runs. Eventually, if his team is also doing well, then as a player and as captain it’s his job. He is just playing for his team, doesn’t matter which jersey he is wearing,” she concluded.
