Shreyas Iyer is the only Indian captain to reach the finals of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with three different teams: Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2020, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2024 and Kings XI Punjab (PBKS) in 2025.
Although Iyer led KKR to the title in 2024, he didn’t get much credit for the victory and was released from the team the following season.
Speaking to JioStar, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra explains why Iyer’s role as captain is often under-recognized and what can change this perception.
“I think his contribution as a leader is downplayed in the narrative of people who are not part of the team. Two things happened with Shreyas Iyer at KKR. The coach was also a very strong and popular figure in the environment he was in. That was not the case with MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma or even Virat Kohli at RCB, where there was no such dominant figure calling the shots,” Chopra said.
“Here you have Gautam Gambhir, who is a very successful player and a very good mentor. Others, MS, Rohit and Kohli, have captained India for a long time and been very successful. They have earned honours. As far as Shreyas is concerned, he is not the captain of India. But he is getting what he deserves now because he has done a good job,” the former KKR player added.
Iyer will lead Kings XI Punjab in the upcoming IPL season after leading them to the final last year. In his first season with the team, he scored 604 points, averaging over 50 and shooting 175.07 from the field.
Chopra also spoke about how Iyer can be given wider recognition as a captain.
“If you think that if he wins one more trophy, everything will suddenly change and everyone will give a standing ovation, that may not happen. The sound of appreciation may be louder, but his aura will not change overnight. Such a thing will happen only in one scenario. The next T20 World Cup is in 2028. I am not saying that India’s T20 leadership will change immediately, but it is possible after a few years,” he said.
“If he can occupy that position, score runs, that’s the first criterion, lead his team to the playoffs, finals, or win trophies and somehow become India’s T20I captain in the near future, whether it’s within 12 months or before the next World Cup, then everything will change. He can even become India’s captain who wins the World Cup, that aura is different. Then he won’t need anyone’s approval,” he concluded.
