Shreyas Iyer picked as India captain

Former England pacer Isa Guha made a massive statement on middle-order batter and Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer's captaincy during the IPL 2025. The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that Shreyas Iyer has a long future in Indian cricket, particularly due to his strong leadership qualities.

Shreyas played a crucial role in India’s successful 2025 Champions Trophy campaign. The 30-year-old was the team's top scorer, amassing 243 runs in five innings at an average of 48.60 and a strike rate close to 80. His consistent performances in the middle order were instrumental in Team India securing the title.

Shreyas Iyer Has Established Himself as a Capable Leader

Apart from his batting, Shreyas has established himself as a capable leader. He guided Mumbai to a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title last year. The middle-order batter also led the Kolkata Knight Riders to a dominant title-winning campaign in IPL 2024.

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KKR topped the league stage and defeated SunRisers Hyderabad twice in the playoffs. He is now captaining Punjab Kings in IPL 2025. Iyer has steered the team to five wins in eight matches, placing them fifth in the 10-team standings.

The right-handed batter has scored 263 runs in eight matches at an average of 43.83 and an outstanding strike rate of 185.21. He has smashed three half-centuries, with his best score being an unbeaten 97 runs against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in their opener.

Shreyas Iyer Is a Seriously Quality Player - Isa Guha

In a recent media interaction, Isa Guha described Shreyas Iyer as a seriously quality player. With the current senior leaders in the Indian team nearing the end of their careers, Guha added that attention is now shifting toward identifying future leaders, and Iyer is in that conversation.

"He is a seriously quality player. The talk about Shreyas is that he is going to be around Indian cricket for long time. There is going to be a focus on his ability as captain and leadership, as the leaders are getting a little bit older in the Indian setup. So, you are possibly looking at who the next person is," Guha said.

Shreyas Iyer Is Going to Be Learning a Lot - Isa Guha

Isa Guha said that Shreyas Iyer has the potential to grow even further as a leader under the guidance of Ricky Ponting at Punjab Kings in IPL 2025. Guha added that the former Australian skipper has a proven ability to get the best out of players.

Iyer was named captain, and Ponting was appointed head coach ahead of the season. The two share a successful history from their time at Delhi Capitals, where they led the team to their first-ever IPL final in 2020.

"Under Ricky Ponting, he is going to be learning a lot. To have that opportunity to work with Ricky is huge. And Ricky is a coach who will bring out the best in a lot of these players," said Isa Guha.

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