'Not someone sitting in the dugout...': India great takes indirect jibe at Gautam Gambhir, claims Shreyas Iyer didn't get enough credit at KKR

Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes that Shreyas Iyer was treated unfairly during his stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2024 IPL season where he lead the side to their third IPL title. The 30-year-old, who was the side's captain, scored a total of 351 runs in 15 matches for the Kolkata-based franchise, however it was his brilliant leadership skills that took the spotlight.

Sunil Gavaskar took an indirect dig at Gautam Gambhir

In an indirect jibe at former KKR head coach Gautam Gambhir, Gavaskar stated that Shreyas is getting enough credit in the ongoing IPL season where he is captaining the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He further pointed out that no one is giving all the credit to PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting.

"He didn't get the credit for the IPL victory last season. All the plaudits were given to someone else. It's the captain who plays a major role in what's happening in the middle and not someone sitting in the dugout. See, this year he's getting fair credit. No one is giving all the credit to Ricky Ponting," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

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Shreyas, whose services were acquired by the Punjab-based franchise for a whopping fee of INR 26.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, has given brilliant performances with the bat in the ongoing season so far. He has 435 runs under his name and has scored four half-centuries, that is already two more than what he scored in the 2024 season with KKR.

PBKS have been a force to be reckoned with this season and Shreyas is among their top performers so far. The Punjab-based franchise secured a spot in the playoffs with their 10-run victory over the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, May 18. They currently stand on the third place on the IPL standings, having accumulated 17 points from 12 matches.

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They may have qualified for their playoffs, but PBKS still have to play two matches before their league stage concludes. Firstly, they will be facing-off against the Delhi Capitals on May 24 and finally, they will be clashing against the Mumbai Indians on May 26. Both of these encounters will take place at the Sawai Mansingh stadium in Jaipur.