Shreyas Iyer with Gautam Gambhir for Delhi in IPL 2018. Image Credits- AFP
There has been a sudden buzz in the quarters about Shreyas Iyer set to replace Suryakumar Yadav as India's next T20I captain. Although there has been no official confirmation from the BCCI, names such as Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma are also being floated as top contenders.
Shreyas Iyer was often compared to MS Dhoni for his Midas touch, but he somewhat lost that in IPL 2026. As his franchise, the Punjab Kings, lost three games in a row, the PBKS skipper became the scapegoat.
However, the 31-year-old has already won an IPL title and helped teams like Delhi and Punjab reach heights in his brief captaincy career. Moreover, he is part of the leadership group at the ODI, serving as Shubman Gill's deputy.
However, in this article, we will talk about why Shreyas Iyer does not deserve India's T20I captaincy.
A good captain in highs, but woeful in lows
Point number one. Under Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings were flying high during the first half of the IPL 2026. During that period, his captaincy seemed flawless, both on and off the field. However, as they started losing, Iyer too started becoming clueless.
As Punjab were losing game after game, Shreyas Iyer's ideas were flopping like anything. Under pressure, he was making horrible bowling and field changes; his team changes were questionable too. Moreover, His runs too dried up in deep waters.
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At this moment, India need a captain for all seasons. Thus, it would be safer to say that Shreyas Iyer seemed like a good captain in highs, but turned woeful during lows.
Dual-alpha relationship, ft. Gautam Gambhir, Shreyas Iyer
There is no hiding from the fact that Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer don't share the greatest of bonds. During their KKR days, when the two helped Kolkata win its third IPL triumph, the majority of the credit went GG’s way.
After the season, the Mumbaikar openly confessed that he didn't receive the "recognition and respect" for leading the franchise to their third IPL title. He also left KKR to become the first-ever IPL-winning captain to enter auction after winning the coveted title.
Moreover, if reports are to be believed GG wanted Samson for the job, but the selectors, Ajit Agarkar majorly, are looking Iyer as the next T20I captain.
With Gambhir at the helm, Shreyas Iyer's appointment as Indian T20I skipper would not help Indian cricket much, due to a phenomenon called the dual-alpha relationship.
Shreyas Iyer wasn't in T20 WC 2026 squad
Earlier this year, Shreyas Iyer returned to India's T20I fold after a three-year absence. However, only as a back-up to an injured Tilak Varma prior to the 2026 T20 World Cup. Later, he went missing after Varma got back.
There is no denying Iyer's capabilities as a batter, and how well he attacks spinners in the middle order. If the selectors decide to drop Suryakumar Yadav from the team entirely, the 31-year-old will be a brilliant like-for-like replacement.
However, bringing him in and then picking him as captain would only create insecurity among other senior players. Thus, it would be better if the BCCI picks a captain who has been a core member of the T20I squad in the previous cycle.
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