How do you judge a captain? Based on them leading to wins? Well, Shreyas Iyer is doing everything to force you to have a look at his captaincy credentials. Iyer’s incredible streak of leading teams to finals just continues to give. On Tuesday, Iyer added another chapter to his golden run as captain, guiding SoBo Mumbai Falcons into the final of the T20 Mumbai League 2025. The achievement marks his fourth major final as captain in just over a year.
Captain fantastic Shreyas Iyer
It all began with Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) title-winning campaign in IPL 2024. Iyer led from the front with 351 runs and smart captaincy to secure KKR’s first trophy in a decade. However, as he would say, Iyer didn’t get much credit for the win. Without Iyer, KKR looked much worse of a team despite having the same core group.
He quickly followed it up by leading Mumbai to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy later that year, scoring 345 runs at a blistering strike rate of 188.52. He was made captain over Ajinkya Rahane, who led Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. Much before that, Iyer won the Irani Cup as a player for his state as well.
IPL 2025 factor with PBKS
In IPL 2025, Iyer switched franchises but not fortunes. KKR didn’t retain him but Punjab Kings (PBKS) did everything they could and eventually signed him for a whopping Rs 26.75 crore. As captain of a rejuvenated Punjab Kings side, he took them to their first IPL final in 11 years. In these 11 years, PBKS didn’t qualify for the playoffs even once.
Though they finished runners-up to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Iyer ended the season as PBKS’ top scorer with 604 runs at a strike rate of 175.07—his most prolific IPL season to date. There’s a reason why Iyer turned out to be the best captain of IPL 2025.
Now, with SoBo Falcons, Iyer is once again one win away from lifting another trophy. The Falcons defeated Bandra Blasters in the semifinal, chasing down 131 with ease. While Iyer didn’t star with the bat this time, his presence was again at the forefront. The final against Maratha Royals on June 12 at the Wankhede Stadium offers Iyer yet another opportunity to underline his dominance as a T20 leader.
Even outside of captaincy, Iyer’s form has been crucial for India. In the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, he played a pivotal role in India’s victorious campaign, contributing scores of 56, 79, and 48 to help the team lift their second global title in two years.
Shreyas Iyer’s Final Frontier (So Far)
- IPL 2024 – Champions with Kolkata Knight Riders
- Scored 351 runs
- Ended KKR’s 10-year title drought
- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 – Champions with Mumbai
- 345 runs at 188.52 SR
- Led a young side with flair
- IPL 2025 – Runners-up with Punjab Kings (PBKS)
- 604 runs at 175.07 SR
- Took PBKS to first final in 11 years
- T20 Mumbai League 2025 – Finalist with SoBo Falcons
- Set for June 12 final vs Maratha Royals at Wankhede
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