Mohali (Punjab) [India], March 20 (ANI): Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer spoke on enduring a challenging period following a spleen injury during Australia tour last year and how after overcoming that challenge, he has his eyes on the trophy.

Iyer was speaking at the jersey launch event at Mohali on Friday, featuring the title sponsor CP PLUS. The official jersey launch event was attended by key dignitaries, including Satish Menon, CEO, Punjab Kings, Saurabh Arora, Chief Commercial Officer, Punjab Kings, Anup Nair, Director - Strategy & Operations, CP PLUS, and Sanjay Gogia, Director - Sales, CP PLUS, alongside Iyer and teammate Arshdeep Singh.

During the event, Iyer spoke of the challenges he faced after sustaining a painful spleen injury while taking a catch in the final ODI of the Australia tour last year, which saw him lose seven kilograms of weight following a period of hospitalisation.

'It is always challenging to come back after an injury. I had lost around seven kilos and it took a lot of effort to gain that weight back. But I love challenges. I am glad I overcame that part of my life, and I am back here proudly representing the team,' said Iyer as quoted by a PBKS press release.

Following the injury, Iyer made his return as the Mumbai captain during the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) in January this year, scoring 45 against Punjab and 82 against Himachal Pradesh. Following this, he had a lean ODI series against New Zealand, scoring just 60 runs in three innings with the best score of 49. India lost that series 2-1, marking their first-ever series loss to the Kiwis at their home turf in ODIs.

Embracing the love from the Punjab fans, who have fondly given him the tag of 'Sarpanch Sahab', Shreyas was clear about his ultimate goal. 'Expectations are high, which is fun. I love the challenge. But the important thing is that whenever we step in, we have to win. My eye is on the trophy,' he added.

A major focus for the team right now is building a strong bond off the field before the high-pressure games begin. Captain Shreyas Iyer explained that the time spent together in the team hotel is just as important as the practice sessions.

'This is the period where we live as a family for two months,' Shreyas said. 'The more time we spend together, the more we get to know each other. Now is the time where we build that camaraderie. We spend most of our time in the game room, playing FIFA and other games. The planning and plotting for matches usually happens a day or two before the game, but building this bond off the field helps us get better results eventually,' he added.

Local hero and star pacer Arshdeep echoed his captain's confident mindset, especially when talking about playing in front of their passionate home crowd in Mullanpur.

'When you feel the pressure, it is a privilege,' Arshdeep smiled. 'It is a lot of fun when you get so much support from the crowd. When people cheer for you, you feel that 30,000 people are running in with you at that time. We will try our best to win all our home matches this year.'

Reflecting on his journey with the team, the fast bowler expressed his deep gratitude for the franchise that backed him early in his career. 'The journey has been amazing,' Arshdeep said. 'When I came here for the first time, they gave me full support and showed me my potential. They trusted me a lot when no other team did. I really appreciate that, and I want to stay here for a long time. I am looking forward to winning a lot of trophies for the team.'

With a fearless captain, a united squad, and powerful coaching staff, the Punjab Kings are fully set to bring an exciting brand of cricket to the field this IPL season following a brilliant campaign last year, which saw them finish as runners-up to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who ended their trophy drought after 18 years. Their campaign will start off against 2022 champions Gujarat Titans at New Chandigarh on March 31. (ANI)