“I went to the washroom” - Shreyas Iyer opens up on ₹26.75 crore signing by PBKS in IPL 2025 auction

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer acknowledged being surprised by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) acquiring him at a whooping price of ₹26.75 crores in the IPL 2025 auction. The 30-year-old became the second most expensive player in IPL history behind only Rishabh Pant.

Iyer has recently also been appointed the PBKS skipper for the 2025 season after his heroics with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last year. KKR won their third IPL title with one of the most dominant single-season performances in league history.

Talking about his auction price in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, Iyer said:

"I was absolutely gobsmacked. I wasn't expecting that amount, but I was expecting somewhere around that amount. So once [the bidding] crossed a certain point, I was covering my ears with cotton and I just didn't want to stay in front of the TV. I went to the washroom. I was in Hyderabad at that point of time, playing Syed Mushtaq Ali (Iyer was Mumbai captain). Yeah, I was dumbstruck."

Furthermore, Iyer expressed his delight in becoming one of only eight captains to win the IPL trophy last year.

"The feeling is completely different - it's like you're holding the queen's necklace, hypothetically speaking. The feeling is outstanding. It's a proud feeling to be one of the eight guys. The journey has been like a rollercoaster ride, it has never been easy. I'm someone who believes thoroughly in winning all the time. I hate losing, personally, and I think that's what has elevated me to where I am right now as a captain," he stated.

KKR, under Iyer, won nine out of their 12 completed league stage outings before crushing SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 and the grand finale.

"It's not that we will be putting the blame on each other" - Shreyas Iyer

Ponting worked with Iyer during his tenure as DC head coach [Credit: Getty]

Shreyas Iyer praised newly appointed PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting as someone who shares responsibility for the good and bad with the captain.

The duo worked with each other at the Delhi Capitals (DC), where Ponting coached for seven years from 2018 to 2024, and Iyer captained from 2018 to 2020.

"The responsibility is also shared equally. It's not that we will be putting the blame on each other. I've worked with him in the past, I know how his mindset is, and I know he gives that sort of freedom. If you are owning up to the responsibilities and putting your hand up to say that, okay, yeah, I'm the one who made that mistake, or I'm the one to bite the bullet, he would be more than welcoming," said Iyer.

He added:

"I know his nature - he is someone who likes a person or a player who owns up to his mistakes. That's one great thing about him. Also, T20 is such a fast-paced game, things are bound to happen. And the ones who make the least amount of mistakes are the ones who stay calm and composed. And I'm sure as a coach he provides that sort of composure to every individual."

DC enjoyed their most successful season under the Iyer-Ponting pairing in 2020 when they finished runners-up.