Newly appointed India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that his elevation to the role did not come as a surprise, insisting he had expected the opportunity to arrive sooner rather than later.
Iyer replaced Suryakumar Yadav, who led India to a successful T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year, after the conclusion of IPL 2026.
While Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma were also reportedly in contention for the role, the BCCI selection committee eventually placed its faith in Iyer, despite him not featuring in either of India’s previous two T20 World Cup squads and having last played a T20I in December 2023. He began his captaincy tenure during the Ireland tour last month and will continue to lead India in the upcoming five-match T20I series against England, beginning Wednesday in Durham.
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“Honestly speaking, it’s not outlandish. I was expecting it at some point of time. I have done brilliant in the previous IPL tournaments, whenever I have represented the country. So, it did not come to me as a surprise. But, at the same time, I feel it’s a great opportunity for me to learn from everyone around who has been part of the T20 World Cup-winning squad, the team management, support staff and also a few individuals who have played,” Iyer told BCCI.TV.
Iyer’s appointment came on the back of an exceptional IPL leadership record. In 2024, he guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the title before leading the unfancied Punjab Kings to the final a year later. He is the only captain in IPL history to have taken three different franchises to the final, having previously achieved the feat with the Delhi Capitals.
The 31-year-old also backed up his leadership with consistent performances, scoring 992 runs across the last two IPL seasons at a strike rate of more than 145.
‘Relentless, ruthless and determined’
However, Iyer’s stint as India’s T20I captain got off to a disappointing start as the defending world champions suffered a shock 2-0 series defeat in Ireland. He will now look to turn things around against England.
“Relentless, ruthless and determined. No pressure, but at the same time, it’s going to be challenging. All I want to do is embrace the challenge.
“As I said before, it was not a surprise. I want it to be challenging, because I thrive under pressure,” he said.