Ricky Ponting believes Shreyas Iyer has positioned himself as a leading candidate for India’s next long-term T20 captaincy path. The Punjab Kings head coach, a former Australia World Cup-winning skipper, even suggested that Iyer could emerge as a more durable leadership option in the future when the conversation eventually turns beyond current T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Iyer’s rise: records and captaincy milestones
Ponting’s praise follows Iyer’s latest landmark in IPL 2026, where he became only the fifth captain in league history to steer a team in 100 matches. He joins an exclusive group that includes MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.
Iyer has also produced a rare captaincy statistic in IPL history. He is the only skipper to guide three different franchises—Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings—into an IPL final.
Punjab Kings’ IPL 2026 rollercoaster
Despite Iyer’s personal success and growing stature, Ponting acknowledged that Punjab Kings’ campaign has been unstable. After starting the season with a standout run of matches without defeat, PBKS have since suffered a major dip in form, losing six straight games. Their most recent setback came in a 23-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, leaving their playoff hopes under significant strain as the league stage moves toward its closing stretch.
Ponting on Iyer’s growth and leadership potential
Even with the team’s turbulence, Ponting said he remains highly encouraged by Iyer’s progress as both a batter and a leader. Speaking in the aftermath of the difficult run, he described the India batter as one of the most prominent contenders for future captaincy discussions.
“I think there are several contenders, but he’s one of the main contenders as far as I’m concerned. We saw at the start of the tournament just how good a T20 player he is and where he’s at, both on and off the field right now,” Ponting said.
- Ponting believes Iyer has developed a higher level of maturity than at any stage of his career.
- He said Iyer looks fully in control of his game, and that maintaining consistency across 14 matches is difficult for both individuals and teams.
- Ponting is confident Iyer can respond strongly in the final league game for PBKS, adding that a big score could swing the result in their favour.
“I think he’s a much more mature player than he’s probably ever been in his whole career. He’s completely on top of his game now. It’s hard to maintain consistency through 14 games, and there are always ups and downs for individuals and teams,” Ponting added.
“I’m pretty sure he’ll bounce back in this last game we’ve got. If he stands up and makes a big score, then we’re a good chance of winning the game,” he said.
Why Ponting is surprised when Iyer is left out
Ponting also revealed that he has repeatedly been taken aback whenever Iyer is overlooked in India’s T20 plans. He pointed to the selection patterns and suggested that, following the current IPL, Iyer’s name is likely to re-enter the national conversation—both as a batter and as a potential captaincy candidate.
“I’ve been pretty vocal over the last couple of years that whenever India selects a team and Surya’s not in it, I’m always very surprised. On the back of this IPL, I’m sure he’s one name the selectors will talk about, not just to get back into the side, but also with the captaincy next to his name,” Ponting stated.
He further explained that returning to the India setup requires more than reputation—performances and runs are crucial, and results must be delivered in the right manner.
“The thing about Indian cricket is that you don’t just walk back into teams. You’ve got to put a lot of runs on the board and do it in a certain way. His season so far has been very impressive, and his captaincy has been excellent,” Ponting said.
Sweet spot for a bigger leadership role
Ponting concluded by suggesting that Iyer seems to be in the ideal phase of his career to take on a larger captaincy responsibility if the opportunity arrives. In his view, the timing is right for Iyer to make the most of any leadership call-up.
“I just think he’s in that little sweet spot in his life and career where, if captaincy came his way, then I think he’d make the most of it.”
