Shreyas Iyer (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
Former Indian pacer Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped praise on Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer, highlighting his development as a batsman and leader over the past two years. Ashwin believes Iyer is steadily growing into a leader who players trust and look up to, crediting his leadership style and consistent performances with the bat as key factors behind Punjab’s success.Iyer’s leadership journey gained prominence last season when he led PBKS to their first ISL final in 11 years. His outstanding knock of unbeaten 87 off 41 balls against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 not only underscored his batting class but also showed his ability to deliver under pressure. The win marked PBKS’s first ever successful run of 200 overs against Mumbai in IPL history.This season, Ayer has carried that momentum forward. With four wins in five matches (besides one loss), Punjab Kings currently top the IPL 2026 points table.Create a culture of “brotherhood”.Ashwin pointed out that Iyer’s biggest strength as a leader lies in the environment he has created within the team. “Just the comfort it creates around the team, to say, ‘We’re going to have a brotherly conversation. It’s a brotherhood here. At the end of the day, I’ve played in teams where there’s always that layer that you can’t…you’re just not able to go to the captain or the coach and say, ‘I’m going to hand this to you.’
“It happened,” Ashwin said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut programme.“Just the fact that he kept it simple like the way it’s done in your groove or in a tennis match back home, where we do it all the time with our captain or with our friend. That atmosphere is amazing. And I think the way he bats, he’s growing into that captain’s role that the players look up to, which is a deadly combination,” Ashwin added. Iyer’s excellent batting form has enhanced his leadership. The right-hander has scored 203 runs in five matches this season at an impressive strike rate of 187.96, including scores of 50, 69* and 66 in his last three innings.According to Ashwin, Iyer’s presence at the crease is now scaring the bowlers.“His sheer presence (at the crease) terrifies bowlers in so many ways. And how did he do that? His appetite to be able to improve his skills is exciting. I’ve played cricket for a long period of time. I’ve interacted with a lot of cricketers, and not many of them have the desire to leave what they’re good at and explore areas where they’re weak. You’d see a lot of careers where people haven’t worked on improving their skills,” he concluded.