Former Australia World Cup-winning captain and current Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting believes Shreyas Iyer has firmly placed himself among the leading contenders to become India’s next T20 captain in the future. Ponting even suggested that the PBKS skipper could eventually emerge as a long-term leadership option ahead of current T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.Iyer, who is leading Punjab Kings in IPL 2026, recently etched his name into the record books by becoming only the fifth captain in IPL history to lead a side in 100 matches. He joined an elite list featuring MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.The PBKS captain also holds a unique IPL record, becoming the only skipper in tournament history to guide three different franchises Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, into an IPL final.Punjab’s IPL 2026 campaign, however, has been a rollercoaster ride. After beginning the season with a remarkable unbeaten streak, PBKS have endured a dramatic slump, suffering six consecutive defeats, including a recent 23-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The poor run has placed their playoff hopes under serious pressure heading into the final phase of the league stage.Despite the setbacks, while speaking with PTI, Ponting remains highly impressed with Iyer’s growth both as a batter and a leader.“I think there are several contenders, but he’s one of the main contenders as far as I’m concerned. We saw at the start of the tournament just how good a T20 player he is and where he’s at, both on and off the field right now,” Ponting said.The former Australian captain believes Iyer has reached a new level of maturity in his career and is now completely in control of his game.“I think he’s a much more mature player than he’s probably ever been in his whole career. He’s completely on top of his game now. It’s hard to maintain consistency through 14 games, and there are always ups and downs for individuals and teams,” he added.“I’m pretty sure he’ll bounce back in this last game we’ve got. If he stands up and makes a big score, then we’re a good chance of winning the game,” Ponting said.The PBKS coach further revealed that he has long been surprised whenever Iyer has been overlooked in India’s T20 setup.“I’ve been pretty vocal over the last couple of years that whenever India selects a team and Surya’s not in it, I’m always very surprised. On the back of this IPL, I’m sure he’s one name the selectors will talk about, not just to get back into the side, but also with the captaincy next to his name,” Ponting stated.“The thing about Indian cricket is that you don’t just walk back into teams. You’ve got to put a lot of runs on the board and do it in a certain way. His season so far has been very impressive, and his captaincy has been excellent,” he explained. Ponting concluded by saying that Iyer appears to be at the perfect stage of his career to embrace a bigger leadership role if the opportunity comes his way.“I just think he’s in that little sweet spot in his life and career where, if captaincy came his way, then I think he’d make the most of it.”