Overview:
Iyer led the batting charts for PBKS, amassing 604 runs at an average of over 50 and a strike rate of 175.07.
Former India player Subramaniam Badrinath has lauded Shreyas Iyer for his captaincy, placing him below MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026. Iyer has been phenomenal as skipper in the last two IPL seasons, leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third title in 2024 and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the runners-up finish in 2025.
Rohit and Dhoni are the most successful captains in the history of the league, having led the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to five titles each. Gambhir was the KKR skipper when the team won the two titles in 2012 and 2014.
Badrinath opined on Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy before the start of the 19th season.
“It would be early if I compare him with legendary skippers MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. They are in a different league and among the best Indian cricketers. They have won five titles each in the IPL. Shreyas Iyer has won just one title with the Kolkata Knight Riders. But he is a good captain. If I come up with the list of best IPL captains, I will place him after Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir,” he said.
“It is not easy to lead a side in the IPL. On one side, there are Ricky Ponting and the Australian players. Then you have Indian players on the other side. There is also the team management and Preity Zinta, who might ask a few questions which need to be answered. To handle all these responsibilities as a young captain, Shreyas does it beautifully,” he added.
Iyer has won 48 out of 83 matches in the cash-rich league.
Shreyas Iyer single-handedly took PBKS to a runners-up finish in 2025: S Badrinath
S Badrinath heaped massive praise on Shreyas Iyer for his batting and leadership qualities. Punjab Kings topped the points table under Iyer in the previous season.
“Indian fans like the Punjab Kings because of the way they have backed young Indian players. Shreyas Iyer is the players’ captain, and he was brilliant last year, scoring 604 runs. He single-handedly took PBKS to a runners-up finish. This season will be important for him as he has a chance to return to the Indian T20I side,” he mentioned.
Iyer led the batting charts for PBKS, amassing 604 runs at an average of over 50 and a strike rate of 175.07.