Shreyas Iyer told to ‘focus on leaving impact' to make return to India's T20I team: ‘Captaincy will come in due course’

Shreyas Iyer told to focus on leaving impression with the bat in order to make a comeback to India's T20I setup.

Updated on: Apr 21, 2026, 13:03:19 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Shreyas Iyer, the Punjab Kings captain, is the toast of the town owing to his individual performance and the winning run of his team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 edition. The franchise is yet to lose a single game in the 19th edition of the T20 tournament, and PBKS have emerged as one of the most complete sides in the competition. Looking at how Shreyas has been going about his business, everyone is asking why exactly the right-hander cannot break into the India T20I setup.

Punjab Kings' captain Shreyas Iyer during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match. (PTI)

Shreyas scored more than 600 runs in the IPL 2025 season, leading PBKS to the final and before this, he won the tournament with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). However, all these facts weren't enough for Shreyas to make a return to India's T20I playing XI, and he missed out on the T20 World Cup squad.

With Shreyas' golden run now coinciding with Suryakumar Yadav's barren run, chatter has begun about a succession plan, with the former being made the next India captain. However, former India pacer Zaheer Khan has advised the 31-year-old Shreyas to focus on leaving a lasting impression with the bat and make a comeback to the Indian team first, rather than thinking about the captaincy factor.

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer targets IPL glory after unbeaten PBKS surge, declares 2027 World Cup ambition: 'I play to win'

"First, being part of the T20 setup will be on his mind. Captaincy, I am not sure if he is thinking about that right now. He can be a contender in due course because he has been captaining franchises for a while now and has been successful. So, he clearly has that mindset,” Zaheer said on Cricbuzz.

“When you are looking at the Indian T20 setup, I think he must be thinking first and foremost of making an impact with his performances as just a player to secure a spot. Once you are in the squad, then the rest of the things are up to how the team management is looking at things," he added.

How has Shreyas performed in IPL 2026?

In the six matches Shreyas has played so far in IPL 2026, he has scored 208 runs at an average of 52 and a strike rate of 180+. Iyer's personal form has gone a long way toward Punjab Kings' continued stay at the top of the points table. The franchise has 11 points in six matches.

Punjab Kings will next take on the Delhi Capitals on Saturday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

Shreyas Iyer

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