Shreyas Iyer Era

Lore & Background

In 2022, the IPL expanded with two new franchises, and Gujarat Titans entered the competition with no history, no legacy, no retired numbers on the wall. Shreyas Iyer, a player known for his fearless stroke-play and his no-nonsense temperament, was named captain. The weight of expectation was enormous: the entire state of Gujarat, the new Narendra Modi Stadium, and a fanbase that had waited years for a home team all looked to a 29-year-old batsman to deliver. Iyer's 2022 campaign was a masterclass in composure under pressure. He batted at the top with a swagger that made the opposition backfoot, anchoring the innings with centuries while also not being afraid to accelerate. His partnership with Hardik Pandya — one a batter who could finish, the other an all-rounder who could bowl, bat, and field — became the engine of the team. When the final arrived against Kolkata Knight Riders, Iyer's century in the chase sealed a title that was, in the eyes of many, the most remarkable first-season achievement in IPL history. The era cemented a narrative: Gujarat Titans were not a project to be built over years. They were a team that arrived fully formed, led by a captain who treated every ball as a statement. For fans, the Iyer Era is the golden origin story — the moment the blue-and-gold shirt stopped being a new logo and became a badge of instant, hard-won glory.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at the Narendra Modi Stadium hummed with a low, electric buzz. The air smelled of cut grass and the faint sweetness of the new pitch. KKR had posted a total that looked, on paper, like a wall. Iyer tapped his bat against the turf, looked up at the scoreboard, and smiled the way a man smiles when he has already decided what he's going to do. The first delivery came in short. He cut it through the covers. The second, a length ball. He pulled it into the second-tier stands. The crowd's roar built like a wave. By the time he reached fifty, the stadium was shaking. By the hundred, the players were already running onto the field before the final ball was even bowled. Iyer raised his bat, looked up into the lights, and let the noise wash over him. A new franchise. A new captain. A new title. All in one season.

Reader's Guide

2021 — The IPL announces two new franchises for the 2022 season. Gujarat Titans are born, rooted in the state's cricketing hunger. Shreyas Iyer, a proven IPL batter and aggressive top-order hitter, is named captain. The squad is assembled around a philosophy of fearless, attack-first cricket, with Hardik Pandya as the all-round engine and a mix of experienced Indian talent and overseas firepower. 2022 — The season begins and GT look like any other new team. But Iyer's captaincy gives the side a spine. He bats at the top with intent, sets the tone, and refuses to let the team play conservatively. The group stage sees them punch above their weight. The playoffs test them, and they respond. Then the final: Kolkata Knight Riders, a seasoned IPL side, post a competitive total. Iyer walks in with the team needing a chase. He scores a century, anchoring and accelerating in equal measure. Gujarat Titans win by seven runs. The trophy is lifted in a stadium that has never hosted an IPL final before. A brand-new franchise, a first-season title, a captain who treated the moment as inevitable. 2023 — The Iyer Era continues. The pressure of defending the title is immense, but the identity he built in 2022 — bold, unapologetic, attacking — remains the franchise's DNA. Whether the trophy follows or not, the foundation is set: GT are a team that plays to win every single ball, and that philosophy began with the captain who walked out in 2022 and decided the era was his to own.

Did You Know?

• Gujarat Titans won the IPL title in their very first season (2022), making Shreyas Iyer the captain of the most dramatic debut in IPL history.
• Iyer scored a century in the 2022 IPL final against Kolkata Knight Riders, anchoring the chase that sealed the title.
• Before captaining GT, Iyer was a regular for Mumbai Indians, meaning his 2022 title came with a franchise he had never previously represented.
• The 2022 final was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, a venue that had never hosted an IPL final before that match.