Shreyas Iyer’s recent IPL form has been hard to miss, with scores of 50, 69 not out and 66 in his last three league innings in IPL 2026. That run has helped Punjab Kings climb to the top of the points table at this stage, where they sit with four wins and one washout—an impressive position for last season’s losing finalists. After Iyer delivered another major contribution, Aaron Finch’s praise sounded almost involuntary, as he admitted he “staggered” at how good the batter is. The conversation then widened to a more pointed question: despite being an ODI option for India, Iyer hasn’t played T20 international cricket since December 2023.
Finch, speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show following PBKS’ emphatic win over Mumbai Indians on Thursday night, highlighted how quickly Iyer has settled into the rhythm of the tournament. “He hadn’t played any T20 between the IPLs, and he’s started off like a house on fire,” Finch said. “His leadership is unbelievable. It staggers me when you watch how good he is and yet he doesn’t play more cricket for India.”
Finch also described what makes Iyer such a calming presence at the crease. “Wonderful player. Just beautiful to watch as well. He doesn’t seem to overhit the ball. He plays both sides of the wicket, using the front foot as well as the back. And now he’s really tightened up that part of his game—there was always a sense that if you bowled short, you could either get him out or at least rein in his scoring. Now he still takes it on, but he does it with control.”
As PBKS captain, Iyer has not been getting opportunities in T20Is, but the IPL has become his main stage for a long stretch now. In the IPL since the start of 2025, he has produced runs at a pace that places him among the standout performers of the season cycle: among 22 batters who have crossed the 500-run mark, his strike rate ranks third, behind Abhishek Sharma and his own teammate Priyansh Arya. During the same window, his batting average is also the third best—only Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler sit higher. Moreover, only four players have managed to score more runs than him across these two IPL seasons so far.
Speaking at the post-match press interaction after PBKS’ victory, Sairaj Bahutule—PBKS’ spin-bowling coach—put much of Iyer’s progression down to preparation and clarity. “Over a period of time, he’s really understood his game,” Bahutule said. “He works hard in figuring out what’s working for him, what isn’t working, and which bowlers he can target.”
Bahutule added that while many batters receive similar information about the short ball, Iyer’s intelligence and execution have improved markedly. “Everybody has their understanding of bowling the short ball to him,” he explained. “But he’s become so smart at it that he knows when the bowler is going to bowl it, he understands the plan the bowler is going to use, and he’s ready for it. So I think it’s not only his smartness, but his execution has become very optimal as well.”
PBKS’ rise this season has also been built on how well they structure chases. In fact, across T20I and other T20 league cricket, they hold the record for the most successful chases of 200-plus totals, with ten in total—while Australia are next with seven. Three of those successful 200-plus chases have arrived since Iyer took over as captain ahead of IPL 2025, and two have already come in the current campaign. On Thursday, PBKS successfully chased the 196-run target with 21 balls still remaining.
Bahutule pointed to Iyer’s ability to manage the chase as a major reason the team consistently gets there. “He has a lot of clarity and an understanding of the situation of the game—he tries to take the game deeper,” he said. “It’s not the easiest thing when you’re chasing about 200 runs, and we’ve actually done it consistently for about 10 or 11 times now.”
He continued: “He’s aware of the situation, he takes it deep, and he mixes it with attacking shots. At the same time, he also understands if there’s a follow wicket coming, and he makes sure you build that partnership and take it away. And all of that, not for the first time, naturally brings up discussions about where he should fit in for the national team.”
Those discussions resurfaced in the studio as well, with Finch framing the bigger selection dilemma India face. “You say, look at the depth that India has at the moment,” Finch said. “We can’t beat the side that’s on the park. Not sure we’d beat their second team. Perhaps even the third. The way that the depth is at the moment in Indian cricket, particularly with the bat…”
Seated alongside Finch, Piyush Chawla was firm that Iyer should be part of India’s XI. “Well, for me, if I’m the selector, he definitely walks in,” Chawla said. “Because he’s one of the better players in that middle order. And he has got that cricketing brain on his shoulder—he can actually lead this Indian squad. If you’re looking in future, for me, he walks in definitely.”
But with India having just won the T20 World Cup for the second time in a row, the question becomes more complicated: whom does Iyer replace? Finch acknowledged the timing and the reality of selection after a title win. “And that’s the unfortunate part. You have to respect who’s in the position at the moment. They’re coming off a World Cup win,” he said. “It’s not as simple as just saying, yeah, he’s in great form, he comes in. It’s unfortunate timing for the guys that are the second rung. Respect the position that guys have got themselves into to win a World Cup.”
Finch then argued that the next T20 World Cup, scheduled in Australia, will bring different conditions and widen the set of candidates. “The next one is in Australia too, isn’t it? Yes, more than two years. That provides different conditions again,” he said. “So I think you’re looking at guys who are good players not just in Indian conditions, but all around the world—and particularly with some extra bounce as well. So Shreyas would definitely fall into that category.”
