Shreyas Iyer gave his first speech ahead of his debut as India’s T20I captain. Iyer’s innings as captain will begin with the two-T20I series in Ireland, with the matches to be played on June 26 and 28 in Belfast.
Iyer replaced Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I captain after Yadav was relieved of his duties and also from the team despite leading India to Asia Cup 2025 and T20 World Cup 2026 wins in his two-year tenure. He also didn’t lose a single bilateral series as India captain.
During training in Belfast, Shreyas Iyer spoke passionately in the team huddle. Shreyas Iyer discussed the value of team culture and made it apparent that he wants to create a healthy environment among the squad after coach Gautam Gambhir congratulated him on assuming the captaincy.
"Let's try to build a solid culture going forward. My first opportunity to captain the Indian team was definitely an honour and privilege, as Gauti bhai mentioned. It's a great respect as well to be leading the country. So going forward, I want to create a culture where all of us are protecting and supporting each other through thick and thin, and more importantly, when we are out here, have as much fun as possible.
"It's a great opportunity, and this is a family. Let's play like Lions and approach each and every game like we are going to win it and play to the best of our abilities. Have an atmosphere where we are uplifting each other and enjoying each other's success," Iyer said in a video shared by BCCI.
After leading the Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to the finals and winning the IPL 2024 championship with the Kolkata Knight Riders under Gautam Gambhir's tutelage, Shreyas Iyer became one of the most successful leaders in the IPL for many years.
However, due to fierce competition for spots, he has not been included in India's T20I squad for the past two years. However, with two successful IPL seasons and a revitalized run-in domestic cricket, Shreyas broke over the selection barrier.
