Ex-India cricketer praises Shreyas Iyer for strong comeback with PBKS after getting 'stabbed in the back' by KKR

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif heaped praise on Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer, describing him as a “role model” for young cricketers for the manner in which he has bounced back from adversities, including getting dropped from the Indian Test team and BCCI's contracts list and also getting “stabbed in the back” by his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.

Iyer had quite the topsy turvy run last year, getting dropped for the remainder of the five-match Test series against England after playing the first two matches and also getting dropped from BCCI’s contracts list despite being a senior player.

The Mumbaikar was also not retained by KKR despite leading them to their third IPL title last year, with Punjab Kings buying him for Rs 26.75 crore in the mega auction in November that briefly made him the most expensive player in IPL history. And despite being the captain of the IPL-winning team, he was not considered for the T20 World Cup in the US and the Caribbean.

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Shreyas ’the kind of hero one should have’: Kaif

Despite the hurdles, Iyer has held his head high and has let his bat and his leadership skills do the talking.

“If young players are searching for a role model, look no further than Shreyas Iyer. He was ignored from Test matches; his name did not come. So, what does Iyer do? He says, ‘No issues. Fine, I won’t say a word, won’t say in the media that I am sad or upset’,” ex-India batter Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

“He captained KKR – there too, he was stabbed in the back’. Still did not get retained. He has moved on. Just kept quiet and let your bat do the talking. Look at him now. The entire world is singing his praises. He has taken Punjab Kings to No. 2 on the points table. That’s the kind of hero one should have,” he added.

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Not only did Iyer produce crucial knocks while batting in the middle order in India’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year, starring in an ICC ODI event for the second consecutive time, he has also led Punjab Kings by example and steered the franchise into the IPL playoffs for the first time in 11 years .

At PBKS, Iyer reunited with former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who had been appointed as the franchise's head coach last year after a six-year run with Delhi Capitals.

Iyer and Ponting had formed a successful captain-coach duo at DC, helping the franchise reach the playoffs after a seven-year gap in 2019 and their only final the following year, and their partnership appears to have rubbed off on Punjab as well, with the franchise finishing top of the table.