How Sarpanch Shreyas joined the India captaincy race this IPL

What has been the most staggering takeaway of this IPL season? According to one of Indian cricket’s influential decision-makers it has been the emergence of Shreyas Iyer, the leader. On the eve of the final, gazing well beyond the RCB vs Punjab Kings title clash, the official would say: “Right now he just plays ODIs but after this IPL we can’t keep him out of T20 internationals and even Tests. Plus he also has now officially joined the white-ball captaincy race.”

Welcome to Indian cricket, where one exceptional IPL can alter opinions and change perspectives. At the start of 2024, Shreyas didn’t have BCCI’s central contract. That same year, he wasn’t among the 15 picked for the T20 World Cup, not even among the 4 standbyes. His dreadful 2024 would wrap up with KKR refusing to retain him – the defending IPL champions shockingly putting their winning captain on sale at the auction.

Subsequently, at Punjab Kings, Shreyas would find a new home, and a lot more. A swagger, aura and one delightfully North Indian term of endearment – to name a few. His famous gangsta walk with subtle head turns and shoulder shuffles, the reassuring non-plussed presence during crunch situations made his teammates call him Sarpanch Sahab – the village headman.

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Till that Mumbai Indians Eliminator, where Shreyas played the knock of his life – some are calling it IPL’s best-ever – the Punjab Kings captain had been having a reasonably successful season. He had runs, nothing new there, but now there were whispers of him exuding authority even when he didn’t have a bat in hand. A puppet in the hands of his coach – Gautam Gambhir at KKR and now Ricky Ponting. All that sounds so ancient and utterly preposterous now.

That night at Ahmedabad, Shreyas would shake off that rumour of him being a remote-control captain for good. At the world’s biggest cricket stadium he led by example. There were a couple of incidents from that game that announced his big league arrival.

First he defanged Jasprit Bumrah, showcasing the subtle skill of diverting that famous yorker beyond the boundary line. Wickets fell at the other end, but he didn’t panic. A close game that MI’s Galacticos are known to win, was lost, just because Shreyas didn’t flinch. He kept hitting sixes – be it Bumrah or the rookie left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar. Once the job was done, he didn’t go overboard or step out of his character. Coolness didn’t leave him, it just multiplied. He spit out the well-chewed gum, shook hands with the rivals and casually stepped off the pitch – his exit from the spotlight as everyday as a 9-to-5 employee logging out after a busy shift.

Shreyas is not a Dhoni. Nor can he be compared to a Rohit or a Virat. He is a one-of-a-kind cricketer with many contradictions. (BCCI) Shreyas is not a Dhoni. Nor can he be compared to a Rohit or a Virat. He is a one-of-a-kind cricketer with many contradictions. (BCCI)

The other less-noticed captain-like act was his cold stare and harsh words to Shashank Singh, whose run-out at a crucial time had almost jeopardised the chase. He didn’t get carried away in the euphoria of the dramatic win. He had to make a point to an important member of his team. And he did.

That day the Shreyas-cult grew. As it happens in all such moments, the myth-making machinery came alive. From the Punjab Kings camp, stories about the newest Captain Cool would emerge. A ‘comic influencer’ hired by the franchise, Piyush Sharma aka Banker OP, would record a fun reaction vlog with famous youtuber Tanmay Bhat. Like a true fan boy, he would share what Shreyas did once he reached the hotel that night.

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“Woh bahut passionate hai, usko bus trophy jeetni hai, uska ek match jitne ka hisaab nahi hai. (He’s very passionate, his focus is on winning the trophy. His calculation isn’t about just winning one match),” says Sharma. His recollection doesn’t end there. “We all are cheering but he remains unaffected. There is cake cutting, drinks and a party too. His relatives too were around. He did the formality of cutting the cake and said ‘ok, I am going to my room to sleep’.”

ALSO READ: Shreyas Iyer: The monk who cruises in his Ferrari

Sports reserves a remarkable fascination for the understated elegance of its heroes. Inexpressiveness of stars is seen as a virtue. This is what made MS Dhoni endlessly intriguing. Reading Mahi’s mind, till date, remains a national obsession. But Shreyas is not a Dhoni. Nor can he be compared to a Rohit or a Virat. He is a one-of-a-kind cricketer with many contradictions.

The boy from Worli grew up in a home that wakes up to the tunes of the Vishnu Sahasranamam and where non-vegetarian food needs to be consumed outside the front door. But he has unconventional tastes and hobbies for an Iyer next door. He is easily the most accomplished Indian cricketer on the dance floor ever, an amateur magician and has tattooed a lion on his shoulder.

The Iyers are a close-knit family where parents take pride in narrating the pranks their children play on them to visitors. When The Indian Express visited their home once, the father spoke of how Shreyas was in the habit of fooling them on phone. He once faked an English accent to check if his father was traveling to the UK to watch his son play a county game. When his mother is in the kitchen, Shreyas’s ‘what’s cooking’ inquiry is unique: “Aaj kya bigaad rahi ho (what meal are you spoiling today)”. But still Shreyas might be the only Indian cricketer who still gets dropped to the airport by both his parents.

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A cricketer who has had more than his share of hardships, setbacks and unfair snubs; Shreyas has seen it all. His father once shared a low-point of his son’s life. Shreyas sat on the living room couch, on the verge of breaking down, wondering why he couldn’t score runs. “Why don’t you give up on cricket?” he asked his son. Shreyas got angry, saying how can he even think of it. The passion would help him survive and he would make it to the Indian team. But still there are days when cricket truly frustrates him.

In a recent podcast, he spoke about an episode in the net session at the start of Champions Trophy. Not satisfied with his batting, failing to find his touch, Shreyas was uncontrollably sobbing after his batting stint. The next day, his batting improved and so did his mood. The interviewer asks him if he has a friend who he can call when the chips are down and he wants to rant. “I may sound condescending but I don’t need to call. In the last 10 years, I have seen everything. I have got answers for everything,” he says.

Though, his friends are there for him for a very uniquely different task. On Shreyas’s instructions, they send him a new English word everyday so he can increase his vocabulary. Superfluous, sinecure and talisman are the recent additions to his personal word bank, he says with pride.

Shreyas is a one-of-a-kind. Once during this IPL he was asked about the preparation of his team. It’s a query that deserves a cliche but not when Shreyas has the mic in hand. “We need to dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s,” he said. In 2025, the dotting and crossing has been finally done. This IPL, Shreyas became the Sarpanch. He has acted like a headman and he would hope that his village will be the world.

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