3 reasons why Delhi Capitals must go all out for Shreyas Iyer in IPL 2025 Auction
Shreyas Iyer decided to end his association with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) despite leading them to a title victory in IPL 2024. He now enters the IPL 2025 auction as one of the prominent Indian players along with Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul.
In 116 IPL appearances, Iyer has amassed 3,127 runs at an average of 32.23, with 21 fifties. The last season saw him score 351 runs and return with the best-ever strike rate of 146.86.
As per reports, Delhi Capitals (DC) are said to be interested in bringing their former leader back into the setup. The franchise decided to retain four players, and have the third-highest purse amount of INR 73 crore for the auction. Hence, they can definitely break the bank for securing the services of Shreyas Iyer.
Playing for Mumbai, Iyer slammed his highest first-class score of 233 in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024/25 game against Odisha. Earlier, he returned with a 142-run knock against Maharashtra.
On that note, let's take a look at a few reasons why the Capitals need to acquire Iyer for the IPL 2025 season.
#1 Understands the team's culture and surface at Delhi
Shreyas Iyer's IPL debut came in 2015 for Delhi Capitals. In his first season, he scored 439 runs and remained a key player for the franchise until 2021. He produced his best-ever season in 2020, slamming 519 runs at an average of around 35.
Through his seven-year long association with the Capitals, Iyer has been through major ups and downs. He is also not reported to have any disagreements with the team management despite a major ownership change in 2018.
Moreover, Iyer holds a good record at the Capitals' home venue, Arun Jaitley Stadium. He has accumulated 852 runs in 28 innings at a strike rate of 127.74, with seven fifties.
#2 Impressive captaincy record for franchise
Shreyas Iyer's first stint as a leader in IPL came midway through the 2018 season. After the Delhi Capitals managed to win only one out of six games, skipper Gautam Gambhir decided to step down and Iyer was appointed his successor.
The following two seasons witnessed Iyer leading the Capitals to the playoffs on both occasions. In fact, the franchise made their maiden IPL final appearance in the 2020 edition, although emerging as a runner-up.
The right-hander lost his captaincy to Rishabh Pant, after he missed the first half of the 2021 season due to shoulder injury. Nevertheless, Iyer had a fruitful tenure as a DC captain, winning 21 out of 41 games.
Ahead of the second leg of IPL 2021, Shreyas Iyer said the captaincy role in the Capitals helped him to grow as a player and a leader. Here's what he told PTI (via Sportstar):
"Captaincy at Delhi Capitals has made me a better cricketer. I look at things, situations, the sport differently. It has improved my temperamental skills, and my man-management skills as a leader. Ricky Ponting has been very supportive on that."
#3 DC need an experienced leader at the helm
Delhi Capitals decided to release their skipper Rishabh Pant, who could not take them to the playoffs in the last three seasons. Although Pant emerged as the top-scorer for the franchise in 2024, he did not share a common vision and direction with the team owners.
As a result, DC will need an astute leader to carry the team forward in the upcoming season. In this aspect, Shreyas Iyer can be brought back to the Capitals setup due to his successful leadership stints and experience in the cash-rich league.
Although Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav have been retained by the franchise, they haven't had much exposure to captaincy throughout their professional careers.
Moreover, Iyer knows how to handle a team, which has undergone a major overhaul. In 2022, he led the KKR side, which was entirely fresh (apart from retentions) after a mega auction, and helped them become champions in 2024.