Shreyas Iyer led PBKS to the IPL final in his maiden season with the team last year.
The IPL 2026 is almost knocking at the door, and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) fans are hopeful of taking the final step this time to put an end to their 18-year-long trophy drought. Last season, the team had enjoyed a near-perfect run before narrowly missing out on the silverware by just six runs.
But if Shreyas Iyer and Co. manage to continue the same momentum to clinch their maiden title in the tournament’s history, it will not only mark a new era for the franchise but will also bolster the skipper’s chances to once again break into India’s T20I side.
The 31-year-old already possesses great captaincy credentials with a decorated title cabinet. Previously, Shreyas was also tipped to be the successor of former captain Rohit Sharma following an excellent debut season with the PBKS in the IPL 2025. Notably, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had not retained their third title-winning captain before the mega auction, and the Punjab management spent a whopping INR 26.75 crore to rope in the leader.
The marquee signing also went on to prove the worth of that investment, leading the side to their first ever IPL final after more than a decade. Besides establishing his stature as a captain, the right-hander also had a stellar season with the willow, notching up 604 runs in 17 matches at a blazing strike rate of 175.07. With the IPL 2026 coming up in just 10 days, Shreyas would now be keen to once again display his T20 brilliance to get back into the national side in the shortest format of the game.
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Though India have scripted history to win back-to-back titles in the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, there are speculations around Suryakumar Yadav continuing to lead the pack in the future. As the management has often emphasised building a long-term core, the 35-year-old might have limited opportunities to continue in the position.
Moreover, after battling through a lean patch of form for more than a year, he could manage only 242 runs in nine matches of the T20 championship, striking at 136.72, including just one fifty-plus score against the USA in the tournament opener. Earlier, the batter also took 26 matches to register a half-century since October 2024. This persistent struggle of Suryakumar might open the door for the batter to strengthen India’s middle order in the T20Is.
“Shreyas Iyer, I felt he would come in the T20 World Cup team, but he couldn’t. I envisage that a place might become vacant in the middle order. So, can Shreyas Iyer come there? If he presents a captaincy claim once again, he could possibly be the next T20 captain for India. Why not?” former KKR player Aakash Chopra also weighed in on the matter on his YouTube channel.
Shreyas has time and again delivered for the Men in Blue at the No.4 position. Out of his 1,104 runs in 51 T20Is, he has scored the second-most runs at the fourth slot at a strike rate of 150.28, with a career-best average of 37.57. Furthermore, the PBKS captain is known as a prolific spin hitter, which could also serve as a major force behind his re-inclusion in the T20I side.
Alongside a championship-winning run in 2024 and two runners-up finishes for the Delhi Capitals (DC) and PBKS, the Mumbai batter has also guided his domestic team to Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 victory. However, with an unfinished feat in sight, Shreyas Iyer and his men would commence their IPL 2026 campaign against the Gujarat Titans on March 31.
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