Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 31st Match: It is said that someone’s price is realized only after his departure. After the IPL 2025 mega auction, there was a question in everyone’s mind as to why Kolkata left the trophy captain Shreyas Iyer last year. After the match played in Mullanpur on Tuesday (April 15), this question has started piercing KKR management and fans again, where Punjab under Iyer’s captaincy showed what has never happened in the IPL.

Record made to defend the lowest score

The Punjab team, who came out to bat first, collapsed for just 111 runs. After which everyone felt that the Kolkata team will take this match very easily, but the IPL always surprise fans. KKR’s team collapsed for just 95 runs in 15 overs in front of Shreyas Iyer’s strong captaincy and Yuzvendra Chahal’s spin. With which Punjab also took the record of defending the lowest score. Earlier, this feat was done by Chennai in 2009 when Dhoni’s team scored 116 runs and won the match.

Iyer’s captaincy is topping

Shreyas Iyer is considered an aggressive captain. Despite being a low score, he insisted on taking wickets against Kolkata by doing aggressive field placements, which could all-out the Punjab team Kolkata. Iyer has been a very successful captain in the IPL. In 2024, under his captaincy, Kolkata won the title for the third time. Under the leadership of Shreyas, Delhi Capitals entered the finals for the first time in 2020. At the same time, he has also influenced everyone by captaining Punjab Kings this season.

Why did Kolkata leave Iyer?

The important question is, why did the team not retain the captain who won the trophy to Kolkata last year? KKR’s owner Venki Mysore, while interviewing the media, said that there was no consensus between management and Shreyas about the price of retention. According to him, the money that Iyer had demanded could not fulfill it. After which Shreyas Iyer took the path of auction and became the second most expensive player after Rishabh Pant. Punjab Kings bought him for 26.75 crores.

Chahal’s magic

In Mullanpur against Kolkata Knight Riders, spin bowler Yuzvendra Chahal overturned the game. Chahal’s spin had no answer to KKR batsmen. Chahal took four wickets for 28 runs in four overs and equaled Sunil Naren in terms of taking the maximum four or more wickets in the IPL. The names of both now have a record of taking four or more wickets eight times, which is the highest in the history of the league. This deadly bowling of Chahal did not give Kolkata a chance to return to the match.

Interesting IPL

In IPL 2025, thriller matches are being seen one after the other. Mumbai surprised everyone by winning the match against Delhi. Then Dhoni overturned the game in the last over against Lucknow. The magic of IPL is speaking to the heads of fans. Interestingly, half the journey of the league is still left.

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