The Indian Premier League has, time and again, unearthed diamonds. Many have faded away, but quite a few have endured the grind and grown into modern-day greats. Look no further than Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, who have not only taken the Mumbai Indians to new heights but also played key roles in India’s ICC triumphs and other major titles.
The key to shaping such players lies in spotting them early. This is where scouting teams come into the picture. Just as the Mumbai Indians identified Bumrah and Pandya at a young age, the Delhi Capitals trusted their system to identify and nurture a youngster who, at the time, had little experience to warrant an IPL contract. Pravin Amre, known for his keen eye for talent, discovered a young Shreyas Iyer, who earned his first IPL deal in 2015 without having played a single T20 match.
That was also the year the franchise, then known as the Delhi Daredevils, made headlines by signing Yuvraj Singh for ₹16 crore, making him the most expensive buy at the time. However, the season proved disappointing, with the team finishing seventh. The silver lining, however, was Iyer, who offered a glimpse of the promise he would go on to fulfil.
“I had known Shreyas for 10 years. He needed that break. At the auction table, Shreyas’ base price was ₹10 lakh. From there, it went to 1 crore, to 2 crore and finally to ₹2.6 crore. Shreyas became the first uncapped played for Delhi. He had never even played a T20 before. But as a coach, it was out judgement that he can do it,” Amre said on the Great Indian Cricket Show.
“Our owner, Kiran Kumar Grandhi, trusted me. What will this 18-year-old kid, whom we are giving 2.6 times his base price, do?) That year, Yuvraj Singh was given ₹16 crore. But he scored 250 (248 runs to be precise). Shreyas scored over 400 runs (439) and won the emerging player award. He was retained. Delhi Capitals were looking for a captain. So, it was my role to make sure and recommend Shreyas, knowing he can do it.”
How Iyer fared with DC
As it turned out, Pravin Amre’s intuition paid off. Shreyas Iyer went on to become the face of the Delhi Capitals over the next seven years, scoring 2,375 runs in 87 matches and leading the team to the final in IPL 2020. His captaincy credentials came to the fore again in IPL 2024, when he guided the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third title.
After not being retained, Iyer was snapped up by the Punjab Kings at the auction for a staggering ₹26.75 crore – the second-highest bid in IPL history – and led them to a runner-up finish last season.
