Six runs. That is the margin by which Punjab Kings fell short of their maiden IPL title in 2025 — losing the final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a game that Shreyas Iyer, despite scoring 87 not out in the Qualifier 2, could not take over the line when it mattered most. It was the kind of loss that either breaks a captain or defines them. Based on everything Iyer has said and done in the months since, it is clearly the latter.
At Punjab Kings’ IPL 2026 jersey launch in Mohali, Iyer arrived leaner than he has been in years — a visible consequence of the severe spleen injury he sustained while fielding during India’s tour of Australia in October 2025. He lost seven kilos and spent time in a Sydney ICU. He missed the T20 World Cup. He worked back to fitness through a rehabilitation process that required him to rebuild not just his body but his confidence in it. And he stood at the jersey launch event and said, with the kind of directness that does not require amplification: “My eye is on the trophy.”
Key Facts
- 🏆 Punjab Kings have never won the IPL title. The franchise has been a runner-up twice — in 2014 and 2025 — but has never lifted the trophy in 18 previous editions.
- 📋 Iyer led PBKS to a first-place finish on the 2025 league table before the six-run final defeat — making his record as captain genuinely exceptional despite the heartbreaking conclusion.
- 🏥 Iyer suffered a severe spleen laceration while fielding during India’s ODI tour of Australia in October 2025. He spent time in hospital in Sydney, lost around seven kilos, and missed the rest of India’s international programme including the T20 World Cup squad.
- 🏏 He scored 604 runs in IPL 2025 at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07 — his finest individual IPL season and a platform he intends to build on in 2026.
- ❤️ Iyer spoke warmly about his bond with Punjab Kings’ fanbase, who gave him the affectionate title of “Sarpanch Sahab” during his debut season with the franchise.
- 🎮 Iyer revealed that team bonding activities at PBKS include extensive time in the “game room” playing FIFA — and that he views building off-field camaraderie as fundamental to the team’s on-field performance.
What Iyer Said at the Jersey Launch
The Injury That Changed Everything
The story of Iyer’s IPL 2026 campaign begins not in Mohali or New Chandigarh but in a Sydney hospital ward. During India’s ODI series in Australia in October 2025, Iyer suffered a spleen laceration while diving in the field — an injury severe enough to require hospitalisation and a lengthy recovery programme. The weight loss was dramatic. Seven kilos gone from an already lean frame. The return to competitive cricket required not just physical rehabilitation but the kind of mental reset that a career-threatening injury demands.
He managed the recovery. He returned to domestic cricket to rebuild his form. He entered the pre-IPL period in what those around him describe as excellent shape — both physically and psychologically. The T20 World Cup squad that he missed has been won by India. The IPL title that Punjab Kings came within six runs of winning is still waiting. Both realities serve as motivation in different ways, and Iyer has demonstrated throughout his career a capacity to channel near-misses into renewed focus rather than residual disappointment.
Punjab Kings have been one of Indian cricket’s great unfortunates — a franchise with history, fanbase and resources that has never translated into a title. Iyer gave them the closest they have come in a decade last year. Six runs separated them from a trophy that has eluded this franchise for 18 editions. He is back. He is fit. He says his eye is on the trophy. PBKS opens against Gujarat Titans on March 31. The 19th attempt begins now.
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