Shreyas Iyer is all set to make his debut as India’s full-time T20 captain with the upcoming two-match T20 series against Ireland, followed by the England tour. Before his new journey, Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast bowler Vyshak Vijaykumar has shared why he feels Shreyas is the right person for the job.
Iyer recently replaced Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain after the latter’s poor batting performance. Suryakumar has not only lost the captaincy but also his place in the team. Recently, Mohammad Azharuddin delivers big verdict on Shreyas Iyer.
IPL success helped Shreyas Iyer replace Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain
The right-handed batter impressed the selectors with his remarkable captaincy for PBKS, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Iyer won the IPL trophy as the KKR captain and took the Delhi Capitals and the Punjab Kings to the finals.
Ahead of India’s tour of Ireland and England, Vyshak Vijaykumar has heaped praise on Shreyas Iyer, saying the PBKS skipper’s biggest quality is the way he treats everyone in the team the same way. He said that Iyer knows how to make them feel comfortable.
Vyshak also pointed out that Shreyas always trusted Indian players and youngsters and never made anyone feel left out and created a happy atmosphere inside the dressing room.
He treats everyone equally: Vyshak on Iyer
Vyshak Vijaykumar was quoted as saying by PTI, «I think the way Shreyas Iyer treats everybody equally is the biggest thing because youngsters will be, obviously, under a lot of pressure. So, the way you handle them and speak to them makes a lot of difference.
The IPL is a tough competition, and, you know, Indian players are the ones who are going to win the tournament for you. So, the way he handled all the Indian players, uncapped players, was calming and a lot of learning (from it) for me and everyone, and it makes him a good leader.”
Vyshak Vijaykumar hails Shreyas Iyer’s maturity and hunger to succeed
Vijaykumar feels Shreyas has grown a lot as a captain over the last couple of years. He said the Mumbai batter is always thinking about new ideas and looking for ways to improve the team. He also praised the skipper’s hunger to win and said that he brings energy and confidence with him.
The fast bowler added, “From the first time that I saw him in 2025, he has matured so much as a captain and player. Every day he is bringing new things to the table, and every day he is eagerly wanting to try them out.»
«He has this fire and aura that he carries every time he goes into the field, as he wants to win it no matter what, and the way he handles himself and the way he handles everybody in the team—it’s such a pleasure.”
Iyer is currently playing in the ongoing three-match ODI series against Afghanistan at home. He is serving as the vice-captain but could manage only 38 runs across 2 innings at an average of 19.00 and a strike rate of 97.44. The third and final ODI is scheduled for June 20 in Chennai.
