‘Loved facing challenges’- said Shreyas Iyer on Sunday at an event in Mumbai. The right-handed batter replaced Suryakumar Yadav captain of the side in the shortest format by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee named the squad for the upcoming series against Ireland and England as well as the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday.
In his first statement after being announced as the captain for T20 World Cup, Iyer said – “I obviously loved challenges growing up, especially being from Mumbai, where the cricket is pretty big and the competition is high. Every other kid on the street wants to represent Mumbai in cricket, and I faced a lot of challenges growing up. So my mindset was always about winning against everyone that I challenged.”
“Whether it’s about learning or winning, that’s secondary, but the more fun you have growing up, the more competitive nature you have, especially while playing cricket or any other sport in general. I think that takes you to another level and you want to take that sort of responsibility, he added.”
Shreyas Iyer returns to India’s T20I setup for the first time since December 2023. After years of proving himself as both a batter and leader in domestic and franchise cricket, he now finds himself tasked with leading India’s next generation in the shortest format.
His naming as the India captain is the culmination of a remarkable rise as a captain over the past two IPL seasons. He first led Kolkata Riders in 2024 guiding Punjab Kings to the finals in 2025, earning praise for his calm leadership style and tactical decision-making. His reputation only grew further despite Punjab Kings missing out on the IPL 2026 playoffs.
After scoring a maiden IPL century in 2025, followed by another season in 2026, the selectors ultimately handed him the reigns as India’s head for T20 World cup cycle and the Asian games.