Shreyas Iyer (Image credit: BCCI/IPL) Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped praise on Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer, highlighting his development as both a batsman and a leader over the past two years. Ashwin believes Iyer is steadily growing into a captain the players trust and look up to, with his leadership style and consistent performances with the bat being key factors in Punjab’s success.Iyer’s leadership journey gained prominence last season when he led PBKS to their first IPL final in 11 years. His outstanding knock of an unbeaten 87 off 41 balls against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 not only underlined his batting class but also showed his ability to deliver under pressure. The win marked PBKS’ first ever successful 200-plus run chase against Mumbai in IPL history.This season, Iyer has carried that momentum forward. With four wins in five matches (along with one shutout), Punjab Kings are currently at the top of the IPL 2026 points table.Creating a culture of “brotherhood”.Ashwin pointed out that Iyer’s biggest strength as a captain lies in the environment he has created in the team. “Just the comfort that he creates around the team to say, we’re going to have a brotherly conversation. It’s a brotherhood here. At the end of the day, I’ve played in teams where there’s always that layer that you can’t … You’re just not able to go to the captain or the coach and say, ‘I’ll deliver it to you’. And that’s what happened,” Ashricinfo told ESPNO.“Just the fact that he kept it simple, like how you do it in your gully or your tennis match at home, where we do it all the time with our captain or our friend. The atmosphere is amazing. And I think the way he bats, he’s growing into a leader that the players look up to, which is a lethal combination,” Ashwin added. Iyer’s excellent batting form further strengthened his captaincy. The right-hander has scored 203 runs in five matches this season at a stupendous strike rate of 187.96, including scores of 50, 69* and 66 in his last three innings.According to Ashwin, Iyer’s presence at the crease now intimidates the bowlers.“His sheer presence (at the crease) terrifies bowlers in many ways. And how did he do that? His desire to improve is sensational. I’ve been playing cricket for quite a long time. I’ve been around a lot of cricketers, not many have the desire to leave what they’re good at and explore areas where they wouldn’t see any weaknesses in their career,” he concluded.
