Shreyas Iyer made a stunning impact in his Punjab Kings (PBKS) debut, delivering a blistering knock of 97* off just 42 balls against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 opener on Wednesday. His innings, laced with nine sixes and five fours, powered PBKS to a formidable total of 243/5, setting up an 11-run victory.
The performance comes after Iyer’s omission from BCCI’s central contract list for 2023-24, a setback that prompted him to return to the domestic circuit and refine his game. Since then, he has roared back into form, finishing as India’s top scorer in their triumphant Champions Trophy campaign and continuing his dominance in the ongoing IPL season.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was left puzzled by Iyer’s exclusion from India’s T20I squad.
“It was brilliant. From the first ball, he looked in control. He makes hitting sixes look effortless, which is no easy feat. I loved the way he played short balls off his hip, and his stroke-making against spin was exceptional. He creates just enough space to drive through the line. I keep scratching my head, wondering why he’s not in the Indian T20I team,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.
Vaughan further highlighted India’s depth in talent and the challenge other teams face in competing with them.
“India have won the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and reached the 50-over World Cup final. Iyer was brilliant in that World Cup—just had a slight off day in the final. The next T20 World Cup is in Sri Lanka, and the 50-over World Cup will be in South Africa, where conditions favor spin and slow wickets. The rest of the world needs to catch up, but I don’t know how. India has a massive talent pool of around 30 top-quality players, and Iyer is right near the top of that list,” he added.
With Iyer’s explosive form on display, questions continue to mount over his omission from India’s T20I setup.