Shreyas Iyer issues statement after officially entering India captaincy race

The 30-year-old India National Cricket Team star batsman Shreyas Iyer has issued an official statement after reportedly joining the captaincy race of the national team.

Shreyas Iyer, who recently captained Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, said that he thrives under the pressure of captaincy as it brings a lot of "maturity and responsibility" in his game.

Shreyas Iyer takes the Punjab Kings

Iyer has emerged as one of the best captains in Indian cricket in the last few years. He has consistently shown his true capabilities as a skipper in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has got a really great record.

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Under his leadership, the Punjab Kings delivered one of their best performances ever in the Indian Premier League history and finished as the table toppers in 2025.

They lost to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1, but bounced back strong to beat the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 to make it to the final after over a decade.

Although they faced a defeat in the summit clash, overall, it was a great season for the franchise, which has been nowhere near the playoffs in the last few years.

With his performance in IPL 2025, Shreyas Iyer established his legacy as a skipper and became the first IPL captain to lead three different teams to the finals - Delhi Capitals in 2020, Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, and Punjab Kings in 2025.

I have been captaining since I was 22 - Shreyas Iyer

Following his heroics as a captain in the Indian Premier League, several media outlets reported that Shreyas Iyer has officially entered the India captaincy race and will be challenging Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shubman Gill for the role.

Meanwhile, Iyer, who is currently playing the Mumbai T20 League, said that he has got a plethora of captaincy experience and he loves to lead.

"It (captaincy) brings in a lot of maturity and responsibility. You are always expected to perform and contribute in the best way possible for the team because whenever there is a hurdle or some kind of adversity you face as a team, they always come to the captain. I think I have got a lot of experience as I have been captaining since I was 22. I have enjoyed the moments and also embraced it. I love the fact to come out and lead, " Iyer said on the sidelines of the T20 Mumbai League as quoted by Hindustan Times.

I just try to get into my zone - Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer further said that he tries to focus on staying in the present while playing cricket, and it helps him a lot to succeed. He elaborated:

"I just try to get into my zone, and I try to do things which are there in front of me. I try to stay focused as much as possible, just stay in the present, embrace the situation, embrace the crowd because sometimes they get very electrifying and pass on the energy to you. So I keep telling myself that I want the crowd to cheer my name, and that brings that kind of motivation," he said.

"There are familiar faces in the dressing room, I have played with a few of them in club cricket and also in my school and college teams. I am glad to be back and play with my teammates here."

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