Shreyas Iyer might be India’s Shane Warne. The legendary leg-spinner is often considered the best captain Australia never had. For a multitude of reasons, Warne didn’t lead Australia. Shreyas is heading towards that path as well.
Already 31, Shreyas hasn’t led Team India once. He’s the deputy to Shubman Gill in ODIs, who’s 5 years younger than him. And at the moment, he isn’t anywhere close to the other two formats.
Shreyas has taken a break from red-ball cricket and is currently nursing an injury. But the shortest format of the game could be where he gets the opportunity to captain India.
Shreyas Iyer’s T20I comeback in 2026?
In an exclusive chat with InsideSport, Robin Uthappa picked Shreyas as one batter he’d want to represent India in T20I cricket post the 2026 T20 World Cup.
“Shreyas Iyer, without an iota of doubt. He should be the one. He should get the opportunity,” Uthappa told InsideSport.
Although Shreyas’ T20 rise began in 2024, it was the last Indian Premier League (IPL) season where he truly wowed everyone with his batting. He solved his short-ball weakness and became a behemoth hitter in the middle and death overs.
Shreyas Iyer stats in IPL 2025
| Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 604 | 97* | 50.33 | 175.07 | 6 |
India’s next T20I captain?
But Uthappa didn’t just stop at hoping Shreyas comes back into the T20I setup, but suggested him taking over India’s T20I captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav.
Shreyas’ tactical acumen and ability to manage pressure are well-regarded. The 31-year-old has taken 3 different franchises to an IPL Final. Delhi Capitals in 2020, Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, and Punjab Kings in 2025. Winning one of them. No other captaincy has achieved this. He’s done the same with Mumbai. Under him, they won the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
We have seen the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) phase out players and even captains. Given Suryakumar’s struggles at the international level, the board might show him the door post the 2026 T20 World Cup. If that happens, Shreyas can be brought back. Not just as a batter but as India’s T20I captain.
“I think he’s got leadership qualities. We’ve got to see whether Suryakumar Yadav will play beyond this (2026) T20 World Cup. He’s 35, and I’m not sure whether they’ll (selectors) consider him afterwards. We have seen them phase out players in the past. Irrespective of that, I would like to see Shreyas back,” Uthappa added.
