“Gambhir Took All the Credit, Not Fair to Shreyas Iyer” – Sunil Gavaskar Fire Shots At Indian Head Coach

Sunil Gavaskar has taken a subtle dig at India head coach Gautam Gambhir while praising Shreyas Iyer for his captaincy in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title last season, is now guiding Punjab Kings (PBKS), who have qualified for the playoffs after 11 long years.

With this, Iyer has become the first captain to take three different franchises to the playoffs Delhi Capitals (DC), KKR, and now PBKS a rare feat in IPL history.

Gavaskar Questions Gambhir Praise, Backs Iyer

Speaking on Star Sports, Gavaskar said Iyer did not get the praise he deserved last season, despite being the on-field captain of KKR. He hinted that too much credit went to someone sitting in the dugout — clearly referring to Gautam Gambhir, who was KKR’s mentor at the time.

“He did not get the credit for the IPL victory last season. All the plaudits were given to someone else. It is the captain who plays a major role in what is happening in the middle, not someone sitting in the dugout,” Gavaskar said.

He further added, “See, this year he’s getting fair credit. No one is giving all the credit to Ricky Ponting.”

Ricky Ponting, who is currently head coach of PBKS, was earlier with Iyer at Delhi Capitals and was keen on working with him again. PBKS had spent ₹26.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction to sign Iyer, showing full trust in his leadership.

Shreyas Iyer’s Form Adds to His Captaincy Value

Apart from his captaincy, Iyer has also performed well with the bat. In 12 matches so far this season, he has scored 435 runs at a strike rate of 174.70, including a top score of 87*.