It is hard to tell whether he has trained himself to be so or whether it comes to him naturally, but Shreyas Iyer comes across as an unemotional cricketer and captain, which is a prized quality in high-pressure environments. Perhaps to make up for it, he expresses himself more eloquently than other cricketers in interviews.

After scoring his maiden IPL century and giving Punjab Kings (PBKS) a chance to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs, he let the words flow as well: he said he was “ecstatic” and “elated” that Prabhsimran Singh, with whom he added 140 for the third wicket against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), was “temperamentally active” and that “it takes two to tango”.

However, this time the emotion also showed. Only after he had hit the winning six with two overs to spare, which also brought up his hundred. The win left them hoping for Mumbai Indians (MI) to beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) on the last day of the league, but the margins made it unlikely for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to topple them, should RR lose. Add to it a run of six consecutive defeats after six consecutive wins in completed matches, and the emotions ran wild.

“It’s a surreal feeling, especially when you finish off the game and you score a century,” Iyer said at the presentation. “I think all the batsmen, they dream of that, and today was one of those days where I personally felt super from within. I was in a great mind space. I knew what I wanted, I knew how the wicket was playing, kind of reading all this situation, it helped me to score my runs. And also the partnership was crucial. I think that creates the momentum in the game and just to win it from there, I’m seriously elated.”

Winning captain in 2024 with KKR and runners-up with PBKS last year, Iyer started a chase on Saturday encouraging his batting partner to not worry about his century and instead finish off the game as quickly as possible. If this is indeed the last match for PBKS this year, Iyer will have nicely rounded off a two-year journey in which the list of his admirers has only grown. One of the early ones was Ricky Ponting, who was the coach when Iyer first took over the captaincy at Delhi Capitals (DC).

“Well, there was a reason I spent as much money at the auction as I did on him a couple of years ago,” Ponting said, remembering the INR 26.75 crore PBKS had splurged on Iyer. “Look, he’s a ripping guy. He’s a very mature player now, he’s a very mature leader. More often than not, keeps his emotions in check when he’s out in the field, but the respect he has from his players is almost second to none. The moment that he stands in front of the group and speaks, not a single eyeball leaves a single word that he says.

“I’m delighted to work with him. I’m really happy on the season he’s had. It’s great to see him back in that Indian one-day team, and I really think there’s a bigger, brighter future for him and the Indian T20 team as well.”

Not many words were spoken before this final league match of theirs. Iyer cancelled all team meetings and wanted his team to play freely. They end the league stage as both the quickest-scoring and the quickest-conceding side. They will all be cheering on MI on Sunday evening, hopeful they get to display this free expression again this year.