Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer is adding fresh weight to his argument as a future cornerstone of India’s T20I leadership, with former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin speaking out strongly in his favour. Iyer’s latest performance came under pressure at Wankhede Stadium, where he once again looked like the player steering the ship.
Quick facts
- Shreyas Iyer made 66 off 35 balls against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium.
- It was his third consecutive IPL fifty of the season.
- Punjab Kings chased a target of 196 with 21 balls to spare.
- Prabhsimran Singh contributed an unbeaten 80 off 39 balls.
- PBKS won 9 of their last 11 matches while chasing since the 2025 season.
- Iyer’s catch dismissing Hardik Pandya involved an acrobatic long-on effort.
- Iyer became the first player to reach 500 IPL career runs against Mumbai Indians.
- Ashwin backed Iyer’s leadership on his YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat.
- Iyer is the only IPL captain to lead three different franchises to a final.
Iyer’s innings set the tone early and then built into the kind of knock that takes a chase away from the opposition. His 66 off 35 deliveries didn’t just add runs—it directly controlled the tempo of Punjab Kings’ pursuit.
Punjab’s chase of 196 turned out to be far more comfortable than the target suggested. Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh combined for a 139-run stand, with Prabhsimran finishing unbeaten on 80 from 39 balls. Together, they broke Mumbai’s bowling rhythm and walked their side home with 21 balls still left.
The result also reinforced a pattern that has become increasingly hard to ignore. Punjab Kings have developed a reputation for making successful chases look routine, and this win over Mumbai capped their third straight victory against the five-time champions. Since the 2025 season, PBKS have now won nine of their last 11 matches while chasing.
All-round impact from the captain
Iyer’s influence wasn’t restricted to batting. Earlier in the contest, he delivered a game-changing moment in the field by producing an outstanding acrobatic catch at long-on to dismiss Hardik Pandya.
Timing his jump perfectly, Iyer caught the ball mid-air and then redirected it back to teammate Xavier Bartlett before the ball crossed the boundary rope. It was a brilliant piece of athleticism that swung momentum in Punjab’s favour at a crucial stage.
Beyond the match itself, the innings carried a significant personal milestone as well. Iyer reached 500 career IPL runs against Mumbai Indians, underlining his consistency versus one of the league’s most established sides.
Ashwin backs Iyer for India’s T20 captaincy
Ravichandran Ashwin’s endorsement added another layer to the narrative around Iyer’s leadership. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin was emphatic about Iyer’s value and performances.
“Even after doing all these things, if Shreyas Iyer doesn’t become India’s T20 captain, then it’s their loss, not Shreyas’s,” Ashwin said, framing the debate around the possibility of Iyer stepping into India’s top T20 role.
Those comments land at a time when India’s T20 captaincy conversation is gathering pace, and Iyer’s name continues to feature more often in that discussion.
Leadership credentials across franchises
Iyer’s captaincy record already stands out in IPL history. He remains the only player to have led three separate franchises to a final, a rare achievement that speaks to his ability to shape teams across different cycles.
His journey includes steering Delhi Capitals to their maiden final in 2020, winning the title with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, and then taking Punjab Kings to the final in 2025 after a 14-year wait.
With performances like this continuing to stack up, Iyer’s case as both a match-winner and a long-term leader keeps getting stronger—on the biggest stages and in the most challenging chases.
