"Shreyas Iyer might have already written a tweet and kept it in draft" - Aakash Chopra on PBKS ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs KKR

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Shreyas Iyer would be eager to lead the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a win in their IPL 2025 clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Kolkata. He noted that the PBKS skipper might post a celebratory social media message if the visitors beat the defending champions.

PBKS will lock horns with KKR in Match 44 of IPL 2025 at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, April 26. Shreyas had led the home team to the IPL 2024 title but wasn't retained or reacquired at the mega auction.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener noted that Shreyas' return to Kolkata will be a 'subplot' in Saturday's game.

"There is a subplot here, Shreyas Iyer going back to Kolkata. It seemed like there was a slight needle in the last match. It was a slightly personal match for Shreyas. However, you have gone to Kolkata here. So you will personally feel it even more. Shreyas Iyer might have already written a tweet and kept it in draft - 'It's good to be back in Kolkata always,'" he said (8:10).

Chopra urged Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya to play substantial knocks and not throw away their wickets once they get their eye in.

"I have a suggestion for Punjab. Tell your openers to bat a little longer if they get a start. At least one guy should bat a little longer, because both start hitting, and then one gets out, followed by the other, and two guys get out as soon as the powerplay gets over. Suddenly, you realize that the pressure has increased," he observed.

Prabhsimran Singh has scored a solitary half-century and aggregated 209 runs at an average of 26.13 in eight innings in IPL 2025. Priyansh Arya, who has scored 254 runs at an average of 31.75 in eight innings, smashed a 42-ball 103 against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 8, but hasn't reached the 50-run mark in any of his other innings.

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"You will have to start scoring runs again" - Aakash Chopra to Shreyas Iyer ahead of PBKS' IPL 2025 clash vs KKR

Shreyas Iyer is PBKS' highest run-getter in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Shreyas Iyer needs to return to run-scoring ways in PBKS' IPL 2025 clash against KKR.

"Secondly, Shreyas, you will have to start scoring runs again because the last three have been single-digit scores. This team won't do well without you scoring runs. Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh - runs aren't scored. You will have to score runs, especially here, because the spin bowling will be good here," he said (9:35).

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that PBKS won't be able to beat KKR unless their captain is among the runs.

"I feel a spin-friendly pitch will be prepared because you don't play spin. You play Yuzvendra Chahal as one spinner, and now you have started playing Harpreet Brar. You weren't playing him at the start. When I look at it from that perspective, this team will not win without Shreyas scoring runs," Chopra observed.

Shreyas Iyer has amassed 263 runs at an average of 43.83 in eight innings in IPL 2025. However, he has aggregated only 13 runs in his last three innings, including a duck in PBKS' stunning 16-run win in their home game against KKR on April 15.