{"id":7915,"date":"2026-05-06T14:59:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T14:59:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/suresh-raina-calls-shreyas-iyer-a-fearless-captain-ahead-of-pbks-vs-srh"},"modified":"2026-05-06T14:59:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T14:59:55","slug":"suresh-raina-calls-shreyas-iyer-a-fearless-captain-ahead-of-pbks-vs-srh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/suresh-raina-calls-shreyas-iyer-a-fearless-captain-ahead-of-pbks-vs-srh","title":{"rendered":"Suresh Raina Calls Shreyas Iyer a Fearless Captain Ahead of PBKS vs SRH"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Former India batter Suresh Raina has showered praise on Shreyas Iyer\u2019s captaincy, describing him as a \u201cfearless captain\u201d ahead of Punjab Kings\u2019 IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Iyer has shaped PBKS\u2019 campaign with a strong run of results so far. In IPL 2026, the captain has led the franchise in nine matches, winning six and losing two, while one fixture has ended with no result. Under his watch, PBKS have been competitive consistently, with Iyer also standing out among the tournament\u2019s leading contributors with the bat.<\/p>\n<p>With the bat in hand, Iyer has amassed 328 runs across eight innings at an average of 54.67, underlining the role he has played in steering the team\u2019s batting performances.<\/p>\n<h2>How Iyer\u2019s leadership has evolved across IPL franchises<\/h2>\n<p>Raina also pointed to Iyer\u2019s track record of impactful captaincy across different teams and seasons. The former India cricketer noted that Iyer guided Delhi Capitals to the final in IPL 2020, led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in 2024, and then took Punjab Kings to the championship match in IPL 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Now, with IPL 2026 underway, PBKS appear on course to secure a spot in the final four, and Iyer\u2019s leadership has been central to the franchise\u2019s momentum.<\/p>\n<h2>Raina breaks down why he calls Iyer fearless<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking on JioStar, Raina characterised Iyer as a captain who combines fearlessness with influence, insisting that the  leadership style Iyer brings changes the tone of whichever side he represents. Raina highlighted Iyer\u2019s ability to communicate clearly, back his players with conviction, and project confidence through his body language.<\/p>\n<p>Raina went a step further by drawing a comparison between Iyer and former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin. He suggested that Iyer\u2019s blend of calm composure and bold decision-making creates belief within the group and encourages a more aggressive mindset during matches.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Raina said that wherever Iyer has played and led, he has brought a different brand of cricket.<\/li>\n<li>He pointed out that Iyer has shown fearlessness as a captain and has often led from the front.<\/li>\n<li>Raina noted that Delhi and KKR both experienced major highs under Iyer, and even Punjab reached the final last year after an 11-year gap.<\/li>\n<li>He added that Iyer\u2019s off-field communication appears to be especially strong, helping explain why he is considered a top captain.<\/li>\n<li>Raina said Iyer backs his players, and that when he moves with confidence, his body language reminds him of Azhar bhai.<\/li>\n<li>He recalled how, during Azharuddin\u2019s captaincy, players around him carried a different level of trust and assurance.<\/li>\n<li>Raina concluded that while every captain has a distinct approach, Iyer offers both composure and decisive, bold calls.<\/li>\n<li>He finished by observing that when Punjab bat, they tend to play with an all-out attack, and he believes the same mentality shows up in their bowling as well.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Raina\u2019s comments set the tone for PBKS\u2019 clash with SRH, with Iyer\u2019s captaincy and batting form both firmly in the spotlight as the teams meet in Hyderabad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former India batter Suresh Raina has showered praise on Shreyas Iyer\u2019s captaincy, describing him as a \u201cfearless captain\u201d ahead of Punjab Kings\u2019 IPL 2026 match&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Suresh Raina Praises Shreyas Iyer Captaincy","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Suresh Raina brands Shreyas Iyer a fearless captain as PBKS take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026\u2014preview, form and key stats ahead.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>IPL 2026: Suresh Raina Praises Shreyas Iyer Captaincy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Suresh Raina brands Shreyas Iyer a fearless captain as PBKS take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026\u2014preview, form and key stats ahead.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/suresh-raina-calls-shreyas-iyer-a-fearless-captain-ahead-of-pbks-vs-srh\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" 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