Shreyas Iyer was taken aback when Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia predicted that he would eventually captain the national team, long before Iyer was named India's T20I skipper.

Wadia disclosed that he first visited the PBKS captain at his home, shortly before a team camp in Dharamshala, held before the IPL 2025 season, after paying an incredible Rs 26.75 crore to acquire Iyer at the IPL mega auction.

During that initial encounter, Wadia was so enthralled that he thought he was seeing a future captain of India.

“Our first meeting was a brief one, at my house for about an hour before the Dharamshala camp last year, ahead of IPL 2025. I’d spoken to him a few times on the phone and things like that, but I’d never actually met him in person. Within 15 minutes, I turned around to him and said, ‘You know, you’re going to be the India captain one day.’

And I said, ‘When you become captain, remember who told you.’ He looked at me, a little surprised, and smiled. He said, ‘No, no, no.’" Wadia told Cricbuzz.

Wadia attributed Iyer's early conviction to his calm on-field demeanor, cricketing acumen, and grounded nature.

“Because he’s a really, really good human being and a wonderful person—simple, grounded, and stays within himself. And then, when he comes onto the field, he becomes this wonderful leader. He’s got a fantastic cricketing brain and has been captaining for so many years. He’s a fantastic leader. I love sports, and I love sportsmen, and I’ve met many good people. But it’s definitely been an honor to meet him," he said.

Iyer excelled in his first season as captain for PBKS, leading them to the final in IPL 2025, their second appearance in the IPL summit clash after a decade. PBKS remained undefeated for the first seven games in IPL 2026 but failed to qualify for the playoffs after a poor second half of the tournament.

Wadia also emphasized Iyer's cool-headed and collected leadership style, pointing out that he refrains from placing excessive pressure on players—even after errors.

“His style is very soft and gentle. He’s not pushy. He carries everyone along with him. He listens to his players and understands their strengths. He won’t overburden players when they’re under pressure. If they make mistakes, he’s not going to make a big issue out of it. He’s very balanced as a leader and leads from the front in many ways,” Wadia signed off.

Shreyas Iyer is also going to feature in India’s ODI squad that will take on Afghanistan in a three-match series, starting June 13, 2026.

(Cricbuzz inputs)