Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer recently talked about a really touching incident that happened during India's Champions Trophy campaign. After a disappointing first training session with the team in Dubai prior to the tournament, which India eventually won in March, the star batter said he sobbed and became upset with himself. Iyer admitted to being discouraged after struggling to establish his rhythm while batting in the nets prior to India's opening game against Bangladesh in an open interview with Punjab Kings.
Shreyas Iyer recalls emotional incident
His difficulties during the training session caused a surge of frustration and self-doubt, even though he had just finished a bilateral series against England in which he was playing well. Notably, Iyer had a rough year leading up to the big game and was eager to prove a point in the Champions Trophy.
In three games against England, Shreyas Iyer amassed 181 runs, including two half-centuries, solidifying his position in the middle order for India. Though it would ultimately serve as the backdrop for a strong Champions Trophy campaign, the difficult net session in Dubai shook him.
"The last time I cried was during the Champions Trophy - the first practice session. I was literally crying. Because I batted in the nets, and it didn't go well. I was so angry with myself that I started crying. And I was also shocked at the fact that I don't cry that easily," Iyer said during the Kandid with Kings show.
"I thought I would carry the same flow with me, but the wickets were different, and adapting on the first day itself was an arduous task. When the practice ended, I wanted to have another go, to practise a little extra - but I didn't get the chance. That made me angry," Iyer added.
Shreyas Iyer got off to a rough start but soon recovered his footing. He scored 15 runs in India's easy chase of 229 against Bangladesh to start the Champions Trophy campaign. After that, he hit half-centuries in back-to-back group-stage games against New Zealand and Pakistan. Iyer made a remarkable recovery from the emotional low of that first training session by carrying that form into the knockout stages, hitting 45 in the semi-final match against Australia and 48 in the final to emerge as India's top run scorer in the tournament.
Shreyas Iyer has returned to the IPL 2025 with a purpose and style. He has shown aggression right away, smashing 97 against the Gujarat Titans and then quickly scoring 52 against the Lucknow Super Giants. Iyer's momentum was momentarily stopped, though, when he was dismissed early by Jofra Archer for just 10 runs during PBKS's season-opening defeat to the Rajasthan Royals.