The BCCI Men’s Selection Committee on Saturday (June 6) named Shreyas Iyer as the new Indian T20I captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav. He will lead the squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the 2026 Asian Games.
While Shreyas has not played a T20I for India since December 2023, his appointment is heavily backed by his stellar franchise captaincy. He led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to an IPL title in 2024 and guided the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the final in 2025. He also enjoyed strong personal runs with the bat, amassing 498 runs in IPL 2026.
A day after being handed the leadership role, Shreyas Iyer delivered a strong message, stating that he will lead the team on his own terms and won’t operate under anyone else's shadow.
The Mumbai lad emphasized that he will not change his core personality and sees the captaincy as a relishing challenge.
"I obviously loved challenges growing up, especially being from Mumbai, where the cricket is pretty big and the competition is high. Every other kid on the street wants to represent Mumbai in cricket, and I faced a lot of challenges growing up. So my mindset was always about winning against everyone that I challenged," Iyer said while speaking at a promotional event for the Kabuni Premier League in Mumbai.
"Whether it's about learning or winning, that's secondary, but the more fun you have growing up, the more competitive nature you have, especially while playing cricket or any other sport in general. I think that takes you to another level and you want to take that sort of responsibility."
"Even when I've got this job right now as 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," he added.
Shreyas Iyer’s assertive remark that he will not play "under someone's shadow" has sparked speculations of his apparent dig at current India head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During the 2024 IPL, Iyer captained KKR to the title, but much of the tactical credit was heavily attributed to Gambhir, who served as the team mentor.
Reports suggest the overshadowing caused friction, culminating in Iyer leaving KKR to join PBKS for the 2025 IPL, where he captained the franchise to the finals.
Historically, Gambhir has been a strong supporter of Iyer, even handing him his first captaincy break in 2018 with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).
