Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer channels Lionel Messi as the team wins its third IPL crown.
At the presentation event following the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 final cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, BCCI President Roger Binny gave KKR captain Shreyas Iyer the Champions award.
For the struggling Indian cricket player, Shreyas Iyer’s recreation of Lionel Messi’s iconic World Cup celebration in Chennai following his captaincy of the Kolkata Knight Riders after winning the IPL Trophy was nothing short of an Argentina moment.
Iyer experienced many difficulties at the beginning of the season, in addition to having his central contract broken up a few weeks before the IPL and a persistent back ailment that threatened to derail him.
Similar to how Messi felt after banishing the memories of losing the 2014 final and raising the national flag for the first time in 36 years, he at last felt a profound feeling of success and validation from this win.
After a wild start to the season, Iyer sang a redemption song for the two-time IPL champions, but the wait lasted ten years. It is therefore not surprising that he decided to emulate the man who is an expert at overcoming obstacles.
Iyer then gave his teammates the trophy while holding it in a lighthearted manner, much like Messi had done following the championship match against France in Doha.
“Gautam Gambhir, who has developed an amazing culture within the KKR team, is a name I keep hearing about. However, I don’t think Iyer is receiving enough recognition. The late Ian Bishop stated, “Shreyas Iyer deserves some credit,” as KKR won their third IPL title on Sunday by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in a lopsided final.
KKR had a strong season, finishing first with two rounds remaining and only suffering three losses in between. They may have gotten most of their runs from openers Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, but they also played as a team and prevailed.
“It is difficult to put into words how we are currently experiencing. It was a really long wait. For the entire season, we played like unbeatable teams. Right now, there’s so much to be grateful for,” Iyer added.
It brought back memories of his early years and Mumbai coach Pravin Amre, who put Iyer to the test in his first Ranji season in 2014–15 by moving him up to No. 3 from No. 7.
December 2014 saw Iyer return from their match against Bengal at Eden Gardens with 153, his first-class hundred.
“I gave him a challenge during his whole career (in Mumbai)…It was my responsibility as a coach to push him because I was aware of his strong will. He was always one to rise to the occasion with grace. He works well in a group. He got 530 runs in the most recent world cup, according to Amre.
Amre, who took him under his wing at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana, continued, “I always told him you just do whatever is in your hands, let the other people do their job, you just remain focus on what’s in your hands.”
Iyer accomplished the unique distinction of playing the summit match as captain of two separate teams in the IPL by leading KKR into the championship game. Due to a back injury that necessitated surgery in London last year, the captain of KKR was unable to play in the previous season.
After making a breakthrough in the Asia Cup, he went on to finish third in the ODI World Cup last year, behind Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
He had a rough start to the year, though, as he struggled in the home Test series against England and appeared inconsistent, making 140 runs in the first two games before being rested for the last three Tests.
It was discovered that despite being cleared by the Board medical staff, he suffered the recurrent back issue. Iyer then stirred more controversy by refusing to represent his home state of Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy and instead attending the pre-season camp of Kolkata Knight Riders.
Iyer, though, went back to the field for Mumbai in the semifinal and championship games against Vidarbha, when he determinedly hit 95 runs in the second innings to lead them to their 42nd Ranji victory.
He was left off of the Grade B contract by the Board, and BCCI secretary Jay Shah sent out a strong warning to players telling them not to put the IPL ahead of domestic cricket.
Iyer appeared rusty at the beginning of the IPL under great scrutiny and was dismissed for a two-ball duck in their opening match against SRH.
Later on, he made some noteworthy contributions, but Salt’s and Narine’s outstanding hitting stole the show.
