"He said he didn't get the credit he deserved for what he did with KKR" - Aakash Chopra on the opportunities for Punjab Kings players in IPL 2025

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that IPL 2025 presents a great opportunity to Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer to once again prove his captaincy credentials. He noted that the former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain believes he hasn't been credited enough for the franchise's title-winning run last year.

Shreyas wasn't among KKR's six retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. Although the defending champions tried to reacquire him at the mega auction last November, PBKS outbid them and the Delhi Capitals (DC) to buy the middle-order batter.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener chose Shreyas among the Punjab Kings players with massive opportunities in IPL 2025.

"Opportunities are endless. One is for Shreyas Iyer, just the golden touch that he has, and the relationship he has with Punter (Ricky Ponting). Can he replicate that at one more place? He said he didn't get the credit he deserved for what he did with KKR. He lifted the trophy," he said (11:15).

Chopra added that a successful run with PBKS might help Shreyas dispel the hurt.

"So now I think there is something somewhere which is just hurting a little. I am not saying seething, but a little hurt is there somewhere, which he might want to get over here. You took Delhi to the final and won Kolkata the final, so project Punjab and the relationship between Shreyas and Ponting, I think that's a huge opportunity," he observed.

Apart from impressing as a leader, Shreyas Iyer amassed 351 runs at an average of 39.00 in 14 innings in IPL 2024. He was also the second-highest run-getter in the recently concluded 2025 Champions Trophy, aggregating 243 runs at an average of 48.60 in five innings.

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"They might open with Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya" - Aakash Chopra on the opportunity for Punjab Kings' new signing in IPL 2025

The Punjab Kings bought Priyansh Arya for ₹3.80 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. [P/C: iplt20.com]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that the Punjab Kings' new signing Priyansh Arya has the opportunity to replicate his Delhi Premier League performances in IPL 2025.

"The second opportunity I see is for Priyansh Arya, if he gets a chance. He hit a lot in DPL (Delhi Premier League). He was hitting a lot of sixes, he hit six sixes in an over, but can he replicate that if he gets an opportunity, because there is an outside chance that they might open with Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya," he said (11:55).

The cricketer-turned-analyst added that the Indian seamers, apart from Arshdeep Singh, in the PBKS lineup will have the opportunity to showcase their potential.

"However, if they do that, will that actually work out? I don't know, but that's a huge, huge opportunity for Priyansh Arya. Apart from that, the Indian fast bowlers will have to play as it won't work out just with Arshdeep Singh. There will be one or two more fast bowlers if you go with either Marco Jansen or Azmatullah Omarzai," Chopra observed.

Arshdeep (₹18 crore) was the Punjab Kings' most expensive seam-bowling pick at the auction. Vyshak Vijaykumar (₹1.80 crore), Yash Thakur (₹1.60 crore) and Kuldeep Sen (₹80 lakh) are the other prominent Indian seamers in PBKS' lineup.