NEW CHANDIGARH: Shreyas Iyer’s first brush with IPL captaincy arrived in an uncomfortable moment—one that came with pressure, scrutiny and very little room for error. Back in the middle of the 2018 season, Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) were in a difficult stretch, and Gautam Gambhir, a senior figure in the franchise, stepped aside after a run of poor performances left the team embarrassed. In a tense press interaction held in the middle of the tournament, Gambhir named Iyer as his successor, standing beside head coach Ricky Ponting.
From there, Iyer’s captaincy story at the Capitals gradually turned into something more constructive. Under Ponting’s guidance, he developed as both a leader and a top-order batter, learning to manage pressure while still shaping his game with intent. That chapter eventually changed in 2022 when Iyer moved to Kolkata Knight Riders, shortly after Delhi shifted its leadership focus to Rishabh Pant. The connection with Gambhir, however, did not end—because in 2024, Iyer reunited with the former India captain at KKR, and this time the relationship culminated in a title-winning campaign. The IPL trophy also accelerated Gambhir’s trajectory, with him being elevated to India’s head coach within a month of that triumph, and it meant Iyer’s time in the KKR set-up came to an end.
Even as Gambhir threw himself into rebuilding India’s T20I framework, Iyer found himself outside the immediate conversation. His career has carried a sense of turbulence despite periods of consistent output, and the latest turn brings him back into the spotlight—this time with Punjab Kings, where he is once again working alongside Ponting. The duo both carry scars from their Capitals exit, yet their familiarity has the franchise’s campaign gaining momentum. For Iyer, the opportunity now is not simply to perform, but to push hard enough that he begins to look like a legitimate candidate for the kind of T20 leadership Gambhir has been shaping.
On Sunday evening in Chandigarh, Iyer will face a familiar rival in Pant, who now captains Lucknow Super Giants. Pant, having been away from contention for India’s plans after the T20 World Cup-winning run in 2024, is battling to earn back his place in the national setup. But the contest for Iyer is not primarily against Pant’s position. The immediate pressure point sits elsewhere: a prolonged dip in form from Suryakumar Yadav has created one of the most delicate phases for Gambhir and the selection committee.
With that in mind, there is a view that Iyer could be the clearest available option if selectors decide to make a shift. In T20 cricket, his authority at No. 4 has been viewed as rare in the current Indian pool, and the argument goes that he offers the right balance of technique and leadership control. The selectors have not shown much flexibility with Pant and Shubman Gill in the format, and the conversation around Surya’s potential successor—especially if that successor is expected to carry the captain’s responsibilities—has become central.
One BCCI source framed the decision as significant, noting that Iyer last played a T20I in 2023 and has not been part of the current setup, making his return a major call. The same source suggested the selection group is also thinking with a longer timeline, pointing to a strategic emphasis on the 2027 ODI World Cup, which effectively gives them more space to plan a gradual transition in T20I leadership rather than rush it in haste.
At Punjab Kings, Iyer has been given the role of sarpanch, and the temperament he brings to the job has matched the expectations around the position. His confidence and relaxed manner are not random—they are linked to self-awareness developed through years of peaks and setbacks. Ponting’s long-time associate, bowling coach James Hopes, has seen the transformation first-hand, watching a flamboyant 23-year-old evolve into a 31-year-old leader who appears fully in control of his responsibilities.
Hopes believes Iyer has worked hard to address the weaknesses that were once seen as persistent. He said the batter has come into the season having corrected issues he had been aware of for a long time. Hopes also highlighted that even when Iyer sustained an injury during Australia in October last year, the refinement process continued, with the improvements carrying into international cricket as well. The coach added that once Iyer is back in the Indian team, it should become easier to see the version of himself he could maintain for the rest of his career, and he suggested that captaincy has only strengthened his batting approach.
There is also a clear comfort factor in Iyer’s setup with Ponting. Hopes pointed out that as a captain, Iyer no longer needs handholding, and that while he was still very young when he led Delhi earlier in his career, he has become a planner who still trusts his instincts. In their meetings, Hopes said, Ponting and Iyer work smoothly—because when discussions begin, Iyer is the captain, steps forward with his own ideas, and remains open to listening.
For Indian cricket, the next step is where the conversation turns practical. Iyer is already vice-captain of the ODI team, and the question now is how the Indian team management and selectors carve out a consistent role for him in T20 cricket—particularly if they decide the next leadership phase needs to include him at the top.
