Meet this IPL captain who once served as ball boy in 2008 season

Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer shared a memory from the first season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he was a ball boy at Wankhede Stadium. It was during a match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and it was his first experience of the tournament. He also had a brief interaction with New Zealand’s Ross Taylor, who played for RCB at the time.

Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title last year and previously guided Delhi Capitals to the finals, will aim to bring the same success to PBKS. His team will begin their campaign against Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 25.

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Superstars’ show, Shreyas Iyer shared his experience as a ball boy during the first IPL season. He recalled, “I used to play street cricket and was part of Mumbai’s U-14 team. All of us from the team were selected as ball boys, and it was my first chance to see the IPL up close. I was quite shy and reserved but felt lucky to be there.

While my friends confidently interacted with the players, I hesitated. Eventually, I gathered the courage to approach Ross Taylor, who was one of my favourite players. I told him, ‘Sir, I am a big fan of yours,’ and he kindly thanked me. Many ball boys would ask players for bats or gloves, but I was too shy to do so, even though I really wanted to.”

He also recalled meeting Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Irfan Pathan during the same match and being amazed by the team. “I clearly remember Irfan Pathan fielding at long-on. At one point, he sat next to us and casually asked if we were enjoying the game. We excitedly told him how much fun we were having and how thrilled we were to see him up close.

Back then, Irfan Bhai was a huge star, and Punjab had one of the most stylish teams, with players like Yuvi paji (Yuvraj Singh). Even after so many years, that moment remains fresh in my memory,” Iyer said.
Iyer made his IPL debut in 2015 and has scored 3,127 runs at an average of 32.23 and a strike rate of 127.47, including 21 half-centuries. His highest individual score in the tournament is 96.

Iyer made an impact in his first season with Delhi Capitals in 2015, scoring 439 runs in 14 matches at an average of 33.77, which earned him the ‘Emerging Player’ award. He took over as DC’s captain in 2018 and led them to their maiden IPL final in 2020, where they finished as runners-up to Mumbai Indians.

In 2022, he joined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and, under the guidance of Gautam Gambhir, captained the team to a title-winning campaign in 2024.