Shreyas Iyer continued to shatter the captaincy record books |courtesy - BCCI
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Shreyas Iyer led Punjab Kings to the IPL playoffs
- PBKS finished top of the table with 19 points
- Shreyas is one of five captains to lead three teams in the IPL
Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) topped the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) as they finished the league stage level on points (19) with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) but edged the Virat Kohli-starred side to top spot narrowly on Net Run Rate (NRR).
PBKS and RCB will face each other in the first qualifier on Thursday (May 29) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, with a spot in the final up for grabs as both team eye their first title.
In Shreyas' first season in charge, PBKS were nearly flawless as they won nine of their 14 games while losing four, with one match ending a washout.
Shreyas Iyer Records Historic Captaincy Feat
PBKS' top of the table has seen Shreyas create history as he has now finished two league stage campaigns in a row by leading a team to the top spot. Last year, the 30-year-old captained Kolkata Knight Riders, who finished top of the table with 20 points and a record NRR before they also lifted the title.
Shreyas is only the third captain in history after Rohit Sharma (2019, 2020) and Hardik Pandya (2022, 2023) to lead a team to top of the table finishes in successive seasons. However, both Rohit (Mumbai Indians) and Hardik (Gujarat Titans) achieved the feat with the same teams, while Shreyas is the first captain to do so with two different sides.
Apart from these three, Virender Sehwag (Delhi Daredevils in 2009 and 2012) and MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings 2013, 2015) have also led teams to first place finishes twice but they also achieved with one teams making Shreyas the first IPL captain in the world to top the league stage table with two different teams
Rohit is the only captain to finish the league stage on top thrice as MI secured the spot in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
IPL Table Toppers At End Of League Stage In Every Season
| Year |
Tema |
Captain |
| 2008 |
Rajasthan Royals |
Shane Warne |
| 2009 |
Delhi Daredevils |
Virender Sehwag |
| 2010 |
Mumbai Indians |
Sachin Tendulkar |
| 2011 |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
Daniel Vettori |
| 2012 |
Delhi Daredevils |
Virender Sehwag |
| 2013 |
Chennai Super Kings |
MS Dhoni |
| 2014 |
King XI Punjab |
George Bailey |
| 2015 |
Chennai Super Kings |
MS Dhoni |
| 2016 |
Gujarat Lions |
Suresh Raina |
| 2017 |
Mumbai Indians |
Rohit Sharma |
| 2018 |
Sunrisers Hyderabad |
Kane Williamson |
| 2019 |
Mumbai Indians |
Rohit Sharma |
| 2020 |
Mumbai Indians |
Rohit Sharma |
| 2021 |
Delhi Capitals |
Rishabh Pant |
| 2022 |
Gujarat Titans |
Hardik Pandya |
| 2023 |
Gujarat Titans |
Hardik Pandya |
| 2024 |
Kolkata Knight Riders |
Shreyas Iyer |
| 2025 |
Punjab Kings |
Shreyas Iyer |
Shreyas will now have the chance to become the first captain to lead three teams into the IPL final if PBKS manage to qualify having previously captained Delhi Capitals (DC) and KKR to the summit clash. While Shreyas led KKR to the title in 2024, he also led DC to their only final in history in 2020 where they lost to MI. In that season, the Delhi-based franchise finished second at the end of the league stage.
If PBKS win the 2025 IPL, Shreyas will become the fourth captain after Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and Gambhir to win multiple titles, but the first to do so with different teams. He can become only the third skipper after Dhoni and Rohit (and the first with two different teams) to win the trophy in back-to-back years.
Shreyas has already created history in his debut season with PBKS after becoming the first captain to lead three teams into the playoffs as well as a top finish.
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