Shreyas Iyer was duily rewarded for his leadership and consistent performances in the T20I format by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with the selection committee naming him the captain of the national side in the shortest format. Although it is just the beginning for Shreyas in this leadership role, he has some clear ideas and fundamentals about how he wishes to lead the team going forward. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, the middle-order batsman admitted that he is relishing the captaincy “challenge” but also made it clear that he does not want to be under anyone else’s shadow.
Shreyas last played a T20I for India in December 2023. He was not picked for the T20 World Cup 2025 or even the Asia Cup, which was held in the 20-over format this time around. It was Suryakumar Yadav who led the national team in both tournaments. As the selectors looked away from Shreyas, the veteran batsman continued to deliver top performances in the IPL.
He led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the IPL title in 2024 before captaining the Punjab Kings, whom he guided to the final in the 2025 season. As Suryakumar’s performances hit an all-time low, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee picked Shreyas to replace him for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, while also elevating him to the team’s captaincy.
“I’ve got this job right now of or responsibility as a captain, it’s a great challenge. At the same time, I don’t have to change my personality. I have to be the same person how I was before and not try to be someone else or be under someone’s shadow,” Shreyas said during the launch of Kabuni, an AI-driven sports-tech tool, on Sunday.
Shreyas Iyer about his Captaincy: “I don’t want to change my personality, I want to be the same person as I was before and I don’t want to be someone else or be under someone’s shadow”
Shots fired. Ultimatum given to GG that he’s not a puppet captain. pic.twitter.com/4KFbKl9Y40
— Dhillon (@sehajdhillon_) June 7, 2026
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When Shreyas won the IPL 2024 title with KKR, he did not get as much credit for the team’s success as he probably deserved. While fans and the management did acknowledge his contribution, it was the team’s mentor, Gautam Gambhirwho was labeled the actual mastermind behind the triumph.
As Gambhir and Shreyas rejoin forces in T20Is as coach and captain, respectively, their dynamics could play a major role in shaping the Indian team’s future in the format.
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