The T20I captain was no surprise, it’s nothing unusual: Shreyas Iyer

Newly appointed T20I captain Shreyas Iyer said he was not surprised by his appointment as the captain of the Indian team in the shortest format of the game. Iyer replaced World Cup winner Suryakumar Yadav, who was completely dropped from the side after the 2026 IPL season, with the selectors not even giving him another match after the victorious IPL final.

While sources told India Today that Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma along with Iyer were in contention to succeed Suryakumar, the Punjab Kings skipper has secured the armband for the UK tour, which includes two T20Is against Ireland and five against England. Iyer was also named the captain of the Indian men’s cricket team for the Asian Games later this year.

While Shreyas Iyer was building an enviable resume as captain in the IPL, few expected him to take over from SuryakumarConsidering he was out of the T20I squad for three years until he was brought back into the squad just before the World Cup to be dropped for the tournament itself.

“Honestly, it’s not unusual. I was expecting it at some point. I’ve done well in previous IPL tournaments whenever I’ve represented the country. So it didn’t surprise me. But at the same time, I feel it’s a great opportunity for me to learn from everyone around who was part of the T20 team, who was part of the T20 World Cup winning team and also supported the team that won the team,” Shreyas Iyer told BCCI.TV.

Iyer led Punjab Kings to their first final in over a decade in 2025, joining forces with head coach Ricky Ponting. In IPL 2026, Punjab got off to a flyer but lost momentum in the second half and crashed out of the play-off race. His leadership skills were firmly backed up by his personal form, with Iyer plundering 992 runs over the last two IPL seasons with an impressive strike tally of over 145. Iyer also led Kolkata Knight Riders to only their third title in 2024 and became the first man to reach the IPL finals with two different franchises.

Despite not getting opportunities in T20Is, Iyer has become a mainstay of the ODI side and has steadily piled up in domestic cricket.

“As a kid, you always dreamed of playing for the Indian team. Now you’re leading the Indian team. I think that’s the icing on the cake. It means the world,” he said.

“It’s definitely a result of the hard work you’ve put in and the support you’ve received from fans, family and friends.”

‘I WANT CHALLENGES, I STAND UP UNDER PRESSURE’

Iyer’s tenure as captain started like a nightmare India lost the T20I series 0-2 to Ireland on Sunday. It was India’s first ever bilateral series loss to Ireland and their first series defeat in a T20I in over three years.

However, Iyer said he would thrive under pressure and look forward to better things in the five-match series in England, which begins in Durham on Wednesday.

“Relentless, ruthless and determined. No pressure, but at the same time it will be challenging. All I want is to accept the challenge.

“Like I said before, it wasn’t a surprise. I want it to be challenging because I thrive under pressure,” he said.

India will take on England in the series opener at Chester-le-Street before heading to Manchester for the second T20I on Saturday.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

1 Jul 2026 15:26 IST