T20I captaincy was no surprise, it is not outlandish: Shreyas Iyer

Newly-appointed T20I captain Shreyas Iyer said that his appointment as the skipper of the Indian team in the shortest format of the game did not come as a surprise to him. Iyer replaced World Cup-winning Suryakumar Yadav, who was dropped altogether from the side after the IPL 2026 season, with the selectors not even granting him another match after the victorious IPL final.

While sources told India Today that Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma were in the race alongside Iyer to succeed Suryakumar, the Punjab Kings captain secured the armband for the UK tour, which includes two T20Is against Ireland and five against England. Iyer was also named captain of the India men’s cricket team for the Asian Games later this year.

While Shreyas Iyer has been building an enviable CV as captain in the IPL, not many expected him to take over from Suryakumar, considering he had not been part of the T20I setup for three years until he was brought back into the squad just before the World Cup, only to be dropped for the tournament itself.

“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,” Shreyas Iyer told BCCI.TV.

Iyer led Punjab Kings to their first final in more than a decade in 2025, joining forces with head coach Ricky Ponting. In IPL 2026, Punjab got off to a flyer but lost momentum in the latter half to crash out of the play-offs race. His leadership credentials have been firmly backed by his personal form, with Iyer plundering 992 runs across the last two IPL seasons at a formidable strike rate of over 145. Iyer also led the Kolkata Knight Riders to only their third title in 2024, becoming the first man to reach the IPL finals with two different franchises.

Despite not getting opportunities in T20Is, Iyer became a mainstay of the ODI side and kept piling on the runs in domestic cricket.

“As a kid, you always dreamt of playing for the Indian team. Now, you are leading the Indian team. I think it’s an icing on the cake. It means a world,” he said.

“It’s definitely the result of hard work that you have put in and the support you have received from fans, family and friends.”

‘I WANT CHALLENGES, I THRIVE UNDER PRESSURE’

Iyer’s captaincy tenure has got off to a nightmarish start as India lost a T20I series 0-2 to Ireland on Sunday. It was India’s first-ever bilateral series loss to Ireland and their first series defeat in T20Is in more than three years.

However, Iyer said he will thrive under pressure, looking forward to better things in the five-match series in England, starting Wednesday in Durham.

“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.

India will play England in the series opener at Chester-le-Street before heading to Manchester for the second T20I on Saturday.

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