Punjab Kings fast bowler Xavier Bartlett explained why Shreyas Iyer is an excellent captain. Iyer joined PBKS last season and led them to second place, which also led them to their first appearance in the IPL playoffs since 2014. This season too, Iyer has been in excellent form, PBKS are unbeaten in IPL 2026 and sit at the top of the points table.
Bartlett, who has been with the franchise since 2025, was full of praise Iyer’s calm leadership, keen awareness of the gameand a deep understanding of the conditions. He also highlighted how Iyer confidently backs his bowlers and allows them the freedom to execute their skills, describing working under him as a pleasant and rewarding experience.
“I have been fortunate to play under some great captains in my career. Shreyas in particular brings a wealth of experience in these conditions. His calm and composed presence stands out, he is always cool, collected and in control,” Bartlett told Sports Today in an exclusive interview.
“One of the most impressive aspects of his captaincy is how well he understands the conditions and reads the game. He also instills a lot of confidence in the bowling group, he encourages us to go out there and apply our skills. That confidence makes a big difference and he’s someone I’ve really enjoyed working with,” Bartlett added.
Apart from his success with PBKS, Shreyas Iyer also enjoyed strong stints with Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. He led Delhi to their first IPL final in 2020 and led KKR to their third IPL title in 2024.
‘PBKS CAN GO ALL THE WAY’
Bartlett also credited PBKS’ strong start to a settled core, led by Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting. He credited their leadership and leadership as key learning influences and highlighted the team’s added experience and lessons learned from last season. The speedster also backed the team and said that PBKS has the potential to go all the way and lift the IPL trophy.
“We’ve had decent success over the last couple of years and started this tournament strongly. We’ve also had a very similar core group during that period, led by Shreyas, with Ricky Ponting as head coach. Having leaders of their caliber has been a huge experience for all of us,” said Bartlett.
“A lot of credit goes to their management and leadership. At the same time, we’re a slightly more experienced side now compared to last year and we’ve taken the lessons from this campaign on, especially after coming so close to winning the IPL.”
“If we can continue this form, we have a good chance of going far in the competition,” added Bartlett.
However, Bartlett endured a tough game with PBKS, taking just six wickets from 10 matches at an economy rate of 10.23. Punjab will look to extend their unbeaten streak when they take on Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on April 25.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
23 Apr 2026 19:50 IST
