The year has started with plenty of news and entertainment for cricket fans, first with India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup 2026 and now the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. With a long summer of international cricket ahead, many national teams have begun their preparations, and performances in the IPL provide a global stage for players to push their case for national selection.
Indian batter Shreyas Iyer has taken centre stage in the cricketing circle for a while now, with his future in India’s white-ball setup still up in the air. Iyer, who has played over 125 matches and scored more than 4,000 international runs for his country, was omitted from the T20I squad, with his last appearance against Australia in 2023. Since then, India has gone on to win back-to-back T20 WCs, with Iyer missing out on both, featuring in roughly 16 matches primarily in the ODI format. His exclusion followed his removal from the BCCI Central Contract list for limited involvement in domestic cricket, despite not being on national duty.
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However, Iyer has produced incredible performances in the IPL since 2024, both as a batter and a captain. He led Kolkata Knight Riders to their first title since 2014 and also guided Punjab Kings to their first IPL final since their loss 10 years prior, although they ended up as runners-up once again against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last season. Despite his strong record and consistency, Iyer has struggled to cement his place in the shortest format, with former India middle-order batter and current commentator Sanjay Manjrekar calling it a “raw deal” for a player of his calibre.
Manjrekar, speaking on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast, said “It was just unfair for Shreyas that his performances down the order didn’t get him in the Indian T20I team, because those are the difficult positions. If he has that angst for somebody for giving that kind of a deal, I think it’s valid.”
“In the IPL, when his team [Punjab Kings] reached the final, he had a phenomenal IPL. He had the issue where the selectors felt that he was not committing himself enough to domestic cricket, focusing more on the other tournaments. That may have hurt him. When you look at him now and the success Punjab Kings have had, surely we can’t keep him out that long,” added Manjrekar.
Why Manjrekar is correct?
Manjrekar’s remarks hold weight, as Iyer had a stellar 2025 campaign with Punjab Kings, who showed faith in his skills and leadership by signing him for ₹26.75 crore ahead of the season. He repaid that trust by guiding his side to their first IPL final after 11 years, topping the table with 19 points, while delivering consistent individual performances. He scored 604 runs in 17 matches, including a match-winning knock of 87 against a dominant Mumbai Indians side in the playoffs, leading from the front.
With Suryakumar Yadav’s future still under question, Manjrekar believes Iyer has a point to prove this IPL season and the potential to lead India in the future, but that begins with cementing his place in the national side.
“I think there could be a place for him at number four. He is somebody who can take singles on a slow, turning pitch and is a good player of spin. I think he’s done enough to merit a place in the T20 side, and in 50 overs as well. The [captaincy] option is always there. After Suryakumar Yadav, who do you give it to? There’s no obvious candidate. So that could be killing two birds with one stone. But it’s all premature at this stage because he’s not even in the Indian team,” said Manjrekar.