IPL 2025 final: PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer opens up on playing against Virat

On and off the field, they are aggressively competitive and both remain equally calm under extreme pressure, ready to take down any bowler. Virat Kohli is eyeing his first Indian Premier League title, while Shreyas Iyer is looking to become the first captain to win successive titles with different franchises. 
Similar in traits, Kohli and Iyer will clash in red on Tuesday under lights here and both are highly motivated to fight it out in the middle for their respective teams. 

‘It’s a war out there’

When asked about the comfort level of being on the field while having Kohli in the opposition camp, Iyer shot back at the match-eve press conference, saying: “It’s not about comfort at all. When you step out on the field, you are at war, and you fight to win. So, I will put in everything, and I will give everything to see to it that my team wins.” Iyer will lead Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their third final appearance after a superb run through the league stage where they topped the 10-team table, before losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier 1. An animated Kohli may not be officially leading the Bengaluru franchise, but he is omnipresent on the field with his effusive personality and is known to end up in verbal clashes with his opposite numbers, including Iyer. 

RCB captain Rajat Patidar

Both batters, Kohli (614 runs) and Iyer (603 runs), are in terrific form and will be the main pillars of their batting units. Iyer though has a slight advantage, having shrewdly led his team to a tough win over Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 at the same venue a little over 24 hours ago. 

The PBKS captain insisted that he believes in leading from the front. “I see to it that I take the game to the end. I think, as a captain, you have to show your best performance to your players. When we got a start in this tournament, we got two victories. So, we gained momentum right from the start. After that, every individual kept stepping up. There are a lot of youngsters in our team. You have to see their fearless nature. Right from Ball One, they were dictating the returns, and are still doing it. It’s not like every match there is a step-up,” Iyer pointed out. 

All praise for Ponting 

He was all praise for Punjab coach Ricky Ponting. “He [Ponting] is an amazing coach, who manages players precisely. One thing that stands out is that he treats everyone equally, and that gives a big boost to every individual, whether he’s a junior or senior.” 

Meanwhile, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar had no hesitation in admitting that Kohli will be a key factor in the summit clash. “Of course, Virat Kohli will be a factor tomorrow [Tuesday]. He has given a lot of years to RCB,” said Patidar.

This article first appeared on Mid Day