Shreyas Iyer\u2019s 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\u2014an impressive position for last season\u2019s losing finalists. After Iyer delivered another major contribution, Aaron Finch\u2019s praise sounded almost involuntary, as he admitted he \u201cstaggered\u201d at how good the batter is. The conversation then widened to a more pointed question: despite being an ODI option for India, Iyer hasn\u2019t played T20 international cricket since December 2023.<\/p>\n
Finch, speaking on ESPNcricinfo\u2019s TimeOut show following PBKS\u2019 emphatic win over Mumbai Indians on Thursday night, highlighted how quickly Iyer has settled into the rhythm of the tournament. \u201cHe hadn\u2019t played any T20 between the IPLs, and he\u2019s started off like a house on fire,\u201d Finch said. \u201cHis leadership is unbelievable. It staggers me when you watch how good he is and yet he doesn\u2019t play more cricket for India.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finch also described what makes Iyer such a calming presence at the crease. \u201cWonderful player. Just beautiful to watch as well. He doesn\u2019t seem to overhit the ball. He plays both sides of the wicket, using the front foot as well as the back. And now he\u2019s really tightened up that part of his game\u2014there 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2014only 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.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the post-match press interaction after PBKS\u2019 victory, Sairaj Bahutule\u2014PBKS\u2019 spin-bowling coach\u2014put much of Iyer\u2019s progression down to preparation and clarity. \u201cOver a period of time, he\u2019s really understood his game,\u201d Bahutule said. \u201cHe works hard in figuring out what\u2019s working for him, what isn\u2019t working, and which bowlers he can target.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bahutule added that while many batters receive similar information about the short ball, Iyer\u2019s intelligence and execution have improved markedly. \u201cEverybody has their understanding of bowling the short ball to him,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut he\u2019s 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\u2019s ready for it. So I think it\u2019s not only his smartness, but his execution has become very optimal as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
PBKS\u2019 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\u2014while 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.<\/p>\n
Bahutule pointed to Iyer\u2019s ability to manage the chase as a major reason the team consistently gets there. \u201cHe has a lot of clarity and an understanding of the situation of the game\u2014he tries to take the game deeper,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not the easiest thing when you\u2019re chasing about 200 runs, and we\u2019ve actually done it consistently for about 10 or 11 times now.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cHe\u2019s aware of the situation, he takes it deep, and he mixes it with attacking shots. At the same time, he also understands if there\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those discussions resurfaced in the studio as well, with Finch framing the bigger selection dilemma India face. \u201cYou say, look at the depth that India has at the moment,\u201d Finch said. \u201cWe can\u2019t beat the side that\u2019s on the park. Not sure we\u2019d beat their second team. Perhaps even the third. The way that the depth is at the moment in Indian cricket, particularly with the bat\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Seated alongside Finch, Piyush Chawla was firm that Iyer should be part of India\u2019s XI. \u201cWell, for me, if I\u2019m the selector, he definitely walks in,\u201d Chawla said. \u201cBecause he\u2019s one of the better players in that middle order. And he has got that cricketing brain on his shoulder\u2014he can actually lead this Indian squad. If you\u2019re looking in future, for me, he walks in definitely.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. \u201cAnd that\u2019s the unfortunate part. You have to respect who\u2019s in the position at the moment. They\u2019re coming off a World Cup win,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not as simple as just saying, yeah, he\u2019s in great form, he comes in. It\u2019s unfortunate timing for the guys that are the second rung. Respect the position that guys have got themselves into to win a World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finch then argued that the next T20 World Cup, scheduled in Australia, will bring different conditions and widen the set of candidates. \u201cThe next one is in Australia too, isn\u2019t it? Yes, more than two years. That provides different conditions again,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I think you\u2019re looking at guys who are good players not just in Indian conditions, but all around the world\u2014and particularly with some extra bounce as well. So Shreyas would definitely fall into that category.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Shreyas Iyer\u2019s recent IPL form has been hard to miss, with scores of 50, 69 not out and 66 in his last three league innings…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Iyer Leads Punjab Kings to Summit Clash","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Shreyas Iyer\u2019s clutch form fires Punjab Kings to the IPL 2026 summit clash\u2014four wins, one washout, and standout knocks that stunned Aaron Finch.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n