Shreyas Iyer facts for kids
.jpg)
Iyer in 2025
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name |
Shreyas Santosh Iyer
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 December 1994 Bombay, Maharashtra, India |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm leg break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Top-order batter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 303) | 3 December 2021 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 2 February 2024 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 219) | 10 December 2017 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 9 March 2025 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 96 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 70) | 1 November 2017 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 3 December 2023 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 96 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–present | Mumbai | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2021 | Delhi Capitals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Kolkata Knight Riders | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Punjab Kings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Source: ESPNcricinfo
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shreyas Santosh Iyer, born on December 6, 1994, is an Indian international cricket player. He is a right-handed middle-order batter for the Indian team. He also plays for Mumbai in domestic cricket and is the captain of the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. Shreyas was part of the Indian team that won the Champions Trophy in 2025.
Iyer made a big splash in his first ever Test match in November 2021. He scored a century (100 runs) in his first innings and a half-century (50 runs) in the second innings against New Zealand. This made him the first Indian player to achieve this amazing feat! He also played for the India Under-19s in the 2014 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
He was a key player for India in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, scoring a century against New Zealand in the semi-finals. He was also part of the Indian team that won the 2023 Asia Cup. Shreyas captained the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL from 2022 to 2024, leading them to their first IPL title as captain in 2024.
Shreyas Iyer became famous when the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) bought him for a huge amount of money in the 2015 IPL auction. He scored 439 runs that season and won the IPL Emerging Player of the Year award. He later broke the record for the most expensive player in the IPL when the Punjab Kings bought him for an even bigger amount. This record was then broken by Rishabh Pant in the same auction. Shreyas Iyer was also named the ICC Men's Player of the Month twice, in February 2022 and March 2025.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Shreyas Iyer was born on December 6, 1994, in Chembur, Bombay (now Mumbai). His father, Santosh Iyer, is from the Tamil community, and his mother, Rohini Iyer, is from the Tulu community. His family originally came from Thrissur, Kerala. He went to Don Bosco High School, Matunga and later studied at Ramniranjan Anandilal Podar College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai.
When he was 18, a coach named Pravin Amre noticed Shreyas at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana. Coach Amre helped train him in his early days of cricket. Shreyas's teammates often compared his batting style to the famous cricketer Virender Sehwag. While studying at Podar College, Shreyas helped his college cricket team win six trophies!
Playing for Domestic Teams
In 2014, Shreyas Iyer played for the Trent Bridge Cricket Team in the UK. He had a great trip, scoring 297 runs in just three matches, with an average of 99 runs per game. He even set a new team record by scoring 171 runs in one match.
First-Class and List A Cricket
Shreyas started playing List A cricket for Mumbai in November 2014 in the 2014–15 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scored 273 runs in that tournament. In December 2014, he made his first-class cricket debut in the 2014–15 Ranji Trophy. In his first Ranji season, he scored 809 runs, including two centuries and six half-centuries. He was the 7th highest scorer in that tournament.
In the 2015–16 Ranji Trophy, Shreyas was the top scorer, making an amazing 1,321 runs. This included four centuries and seven half-centuries. He became only the second player to score over 1,300 runs in a single Ranji Trophy season. In the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy, he continued his good form, scoring 725 runs. He also scored his highest first-class score of 202 not out against the visiting Australia team.
Leadership Roles in Domestic Cricket
In September 2018, Shreyas was chosen as the vice-captain for Mumbai in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was the top run-scorer for Mumbai in that tournament, with 373 runs. In October 2018, he was named captain of India B's team for the 2018–19 Deodhar Trophy, where he was also the leading run-scorer.
In February 2019, Shreyas made the highest score ever by an Indian batsman in a T20 match during the 2018–19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He scored an incredible 147 runs!
Recent Domestic Challenges
In February 2024, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asked Shreyas to play in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy. He did not play in the quarter-final match, saying he had back issues. Because of this, he lost his central contract with the BCCI. However, he returned to play in the semi-final and final matches, helping Mumbai win the Ranji Trophy.
Indian Premier League (IPL) Journey
Shreyas Iyer has had an exciting journey in the IPL, playing for different teams and even leading them as captain.
| Season | Team | Inns. | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Delhi Daredevils | 14 | 439 |
| 2016 | 6 | 30 | |
| 2017 | 12 | 338 | |
| 2018 | 14 | 411 | |
| 2019 | Delhi Capitals | 16 | 463 |
| 2020 | 17 | 519 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 175 | |
| 2022 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 14 | 401 |
| 2024 | 14 | 351 | |
| 2025 | Punjab Kings | 16 | 603 |
| Last Updated: 1 June 2025; Source: iplt20.com |
Starting with Delhi
In February 2015, the Delhi Daredevils bought Shreyas in the IPL auction for a large sum of money. This made him the highest-earning uncapped (meaning he hadn't played for the national team yet) player in the tournament. He scored 439 runs in 14 matches and was named the Emerging Player of the 2015 IPL.
The Delhi Daredevils kept Shreyas for the 2018 IPL season. On April 25, 2018, he became the new captain of the team, replacing Gautam Gambhir. Just two days later, he became the youngest captain in Delhi Daredevils' IPL history at 23 years old. In his first match as captain, Shreyas scored an unbeaten 93 runs off just 40 balls, hitting 10 sixes! This helped his team win the match and earned him the Man of the Match award.
Leading Delhi Capitals to the Final
Shreyas continued as captain when the team changed its name to Delhi Capitals in 2019. He led them to the IPL playoffs for the first time in seven years. In the 2020 season, he led the Delhi Capitals to their first-ever IPL final against the Mumbai Indians. Even though they lost the final, it was the best performance in the team's history, and Shreyas was the first captain to lead them to an IPL final.
Moving to Kolkata Knight Riders
Shreyas missed half of the 2021 IPL season due to a shoulder injury he got while playing for India. When he returned, the Delhi Capitals decided to keep Rishabh Pant as captain. So, before the 2022 season, Shreyas was released by Delhi.
In the 2022 IPL Auction, the Kolkata Knight Riders bought Shreyas for a big amount and made him their captain. Even though the team finished 7th that year, he scored 401 runs, which was the most for his team. He missed the 2023 season because of a back injury, and Nitish Rana took over as captain.
Winning the IPL Title
Shreyas returned as captain for the 2024 season. He led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the top of the league table. In the final, the Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets to win their third IPL title! Shreyas became the second captain to lead the Knight Riders to victory and the fifth Indian captain to win an IPL title. He also became the first captain to lead two different teams to an IPL final. After the 2024 season, he was released by KKR and joined the Punjab Kings, becoming their captain in January 2025.
Playing for India
Shreyas Iyer has also had a successful career playing for the Indian national team in different formats of cricket.
Test Cricket Debut
In March 2017, Shreyas was called into India's Test squad as a replacement player. He made his official Test debut on November 25, 2021, against New Zealand. In this match, he received his Test cap from the legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. Shreyas scored a century in his very first Test innings! He then followed it up with a half-century in the second innings. This made him the 16th Indian player to score a century on Test debut and the first Indian to score both a century and a half-century in his debut Test match.
One Day and T20 International Matches
Shreyas made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for India on November 1, 2017, against New Zealand. He then made his One Day International (ODI) debut on December 10, 2017, against Sri Lanka. In his second ODI, he scored an impressive 88 runs off 70 balls.
On December 18, 2019, in an ODI against the West Indies, Shreyas scored 31 runs in just one over. This was the most runs scored by an Indian batsman in a single over in ODIs at that time. In January 2020, he scored an unbeaten 58 runs off 29 balls in a T20I against New Zealand, earning him the Man of the Match award. A few days later, he scored his first century in ODI cricket, making 103 runs off 107 balls against New Zealand.
Recent International Highlights
In September 2021, Shreyas was a reserve player for India's squad in the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. In March 2022, he was named Man of the Match in a Test match against Sri Lanka for scoring two important half-centuries on a difficult pitch. Because of his great performance, he was named the ICC Player of the Month for February 2022. In October 2022, he scored his second ODI century, making 113 runs not out against South Africa.
Shreyas faced some challenges with back pain in early 2023, which caused him to miss some matches. He had surgery in April 2023 to recover. After working hard on his recovery, he was named in the squad for the 2023 Asia Cup. In September 2023, he scored 105 runs off 90 balls in an ODI against Australia, showing a strong comeback before the World Cup. India won that match, and Shreyas was awarded Man of the Match.
