‘He’s one of the top contenders’: Ricky Ponting backs Shreyas Iyer as future India T20I captain

Ricky Ponting backs Shreyas Iyer as India’s future T20 captain (Image: ANI) Former Australian World Cup captain and current Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting believes Shreyas Iyer has firmly placed himself among the front-runners to become India’s next T20 captain in the future. Ponting even suggested that the PBKS skipper could eventually emerge as a long-term management option ahead of current T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav.Iyer, who is leading the Punjab Kings in IPL 2026, recently etched his name in the record books by becoming only the fifth captain in IPL history to lead the side in 100 matches. He joined an elite list with MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.The PBKS captain also holds the unique IPL record of becoming the only captain in the tournament’s history to lead three different franchises Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings to the IPL finals.However, Punjab’s IPL 2026 campaign has been a rollercoaster ride. After starting the season with a remarkable unbeaten run, PBKS have endured a dramatic slump, suffering six straight defeats, including a recent 23-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The poor run of form has put their play-off hopes under serious pressure heading into the final stages of the league stage.Despite the setbacks, Ponting remains very impressed with Iyer’s growth as both a batsman and a leader while talking to PTI.“I think there are a few contenders but as far as I’m concerned he’s one of the main contenders. We’ve seen at the start of the tournament how good a T20 player he is and where he is, on and off the field right now,” Ponting said.The former Australian captain believes that Iyer has reached a new level of maturity in his career and is now in complete control of his game.“I think he’s a much more mature player than he’s probably ever been in his entire career. He’s at the top of his game now. It’s hard to stay consistent over 14 games and there are always ups and downs for individuals and teams,” he added.“I’m pretty sure he’ll come back in this last game we have. If he stands up and scores a big goal, then we have a good chance of winning the game,” Ponting said.The PBKS coach further revealed that he was surprised for a long time whenever Iyer was overlooked in the T20 setup in India.“I’ve been quite vocal for the last couple of years that whenever India pick a team and Surya isn’t in it, I’m always very surprised. On the back of this IPL, I’m sure he’s one name the selectors will be talking about, not only to get him back into the side but also with the captaincy next to his name,” Ponting said.“The thing about Indian cricket is that you don’t just come back into teams. You have to run the board a lot and do it in a certain way. His season so far has been very impressive and his captaincy has been outstanding,” he explained.Ponting concluded by saying that Iyer seems to be at the perfect stage in his career to take on a bigger leadership role if the opportunity arises.“I just think he’s in that little sweet spot in his life and career where, if the captain came to him, then I think he would take advantage of it.