New Chandigarh, April 7 (IANS) Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer, who ended the 2025 Champions Trophy campaign as India’s top scorer, revealed he cried after team India’s first practice ahead of the tournament, which was jointly held in Pakistan and Dubai.

“Last time I cried was during the first practice session of the 2025 Champions Trophy. Like I was, literally, crying because I was batting in the nets and was not able to bat properly. I got so angry at myself that I started to cry and I was also shocked because I don’t cry easily,” said Iyer when asked by actress Sahiba Bali ‘When was the last time he cried?’ in the episode of ‘Kandid with Kings’.

“I had performed well in the series against England, so I thought I would carry the same flow with me, but the wickets were different and to adapt on the first day itself was an arduous task, so when the practice ended, I wanted to practice a little extra and I did not get the chance to do it, so I got angry,” he added.

Iyer finished as India’s top run-scorer in the competition with 243 runs in five games, including successive half-centuries against Pakistan and New Zealand in the group stage. He played a key knock of 48 runs in the final.

He also landed a spot in Champions Trophy’s Team of the Tournament alongside compatriots Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami and Varun Chakaravarthy.

The Punjab Kings got off to a brilliant start in the 2025 campaign, registering solid victories over the Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants before being dealt with their first loss against the Rajasthan Royals.

Iyer also talked about the importance of getting off to a winning start and the need to stay humble through the campaign.

“The vibe is good. To have a great IPL season it is important that you have a fantastic first game and thankfully we started on a good note. I feel when you start on a good note then the vibe in the camp is always high and it will reflect in future games. Having said that it is also important to stay humble,” he said.

–IANS

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