Let’s play like lions: Shreyas Iyer delivers first talk as T20I captain

Ahead of donning the captain’s armband and leading India in T20I cricket for the first time, Shreyas Iyer gave an impassioned team speech during a training session in Belfast. After replacing World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav, one of the first things Iyer did in training was to offer a glimpse of what the Men in Blue can expect under his leadership.

After coach Gautam Gambhir congratulated Shreyasi Iyer on taking over the captaincy, Iyer spoke about the importance of team culture and made it clear that he wants to build a positive atmosphere in the team.

“Let’s try to build a strong culture going forward. My first opportunity to captain the Indian team and definitely an honor and a privilege as Gauti bhai mentioned. It’s also a great respect to be leading the country. So going forward I want to create a culture where we all protect each other, support each other through thick and thin, and more importantly, have as much fun as possible while we’re here.”

“It’s a great opportunity and this is a family. Let’s play like lions and approach every game to win it and play to the best of our abilities. To have an atmosphere where we lift each other up and enjoy each other’s success,” he said.

India have been training intensively on the eve of the series opener in Belfast. All eyes were on 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was in line to debut in one of the two matches. Vaibhav batted for nearly an hour in the nets under the watchful eye of coach Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak.

Vaibhav’s potential debut seemed to steal the limelight from a major transition in the Indian team. Over the years in the IPL, Shreyas Iyer has established himself as one of the most effective leaders, leading Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to the final before winning the title with Kolkata Knight Riders under Gautam Gambhir. However, he has not been a part of India’s T20I set-up over the past two years due to intense competition for places. However, Shreyas has broken down the selection door with two consistent IPL seasons and a rejuvenated run in domestic cricket.

As India began searching for a proven leader to replace Suryakumar Yadav after the failed experiment of appointing Shubman Gill as vice-captain,Ultimately, the selectors and the team management focused on Shreyas Iyer.

It won’t be easy for Shreyas as the immediate pressure will be on to match and build on the standards India set during the previous T20 World Cup cycle under Suryakumar. However, with considerable experience of captaining in the high-pressure environment of the IPL, coupled with the support of coach Gambhir, who he worked with during Kolkata Knight Riders’ victorious campaign in 2024, Shreyas has the support group and experience needed to succeed in a format as ruthless as T20 cricket.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

Jun 26, 2026 1:11 PM IST