Shreyas Iyer is backed by coach Gautam Gambhir | PC- AFPShreyas Iyer's stint as T20I captain didn't start too well, but he has steadily picked up and is on a roll. As India won the Gold Medal in Asian Games 2026, it was Men in Blue's ninth successive victory under Iyer.After getting the hang of the helm, the Indian T20I captain has finally earned the laurels of the Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir, ahead of the upcoming assignment - five T20I matches vs West Indies. Gautam Gambhir on Shreyas Iyer's selflessness, indirectly compares to MS DhoniCoach Gautam Gambhir has referred to the Indian captain Shreyas Iyer as a selfless character who has shown willingness to leave his batting position and has been flexible about it. He indirectly compared Iyer's character to MS Dhoni, who, during his captaincy stint, was known for sacrificing his batting spot for other batters. ALSO READShubman Gill Equals Dhoni, Ganguly and Yuvraj In India’s ODI Player Of The Series Chart"The best thing I liked about Shreyas was that he was actually willing to leave his batting position at times. He was so flexible that he was okay if someone went ahead of him and it happens very rarely that a captain, who is probably your main batter as well, sacrifices his position for the team's cause, whether for someone else for impact or from a left-right combination point of view and that is when I realised that the first and foremost quality of a good leader is how selfless you are. Shreyas has that quality," Gautam Gambhir told JioStar.Although Shreyas Iyer has been a versatile player for India across formats, he has batted only at number four since his appointment as captain. That said, throughout his career, the spin demolisher has batted most often at number four, though he has batted 37 times at other positions. Shreyas Iyer & Co begin 2028 T20 WC, Olympics preparations against West IndiesAs India were with interim head coach VVS Laxman in Aichi-Nagoya, Shreyas Iyer and his company will reunite with Gautam Gambhir for the five-match T20I series against West Indies, starting on October 6 in Lucknow.Although the next biggest assignment for Team India is the 2027 World Cup, the Shreyas-led T20I team is also preparing themselves as an unbeatable force for a massive 2028, where they are scheduled to play in the LA Olympics and the T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.Therefore, the upcoming T20I vs the Windies, followed by as many matches in New Zealand, will hold utmost importance for the Men in Blue. ALSO READSmriti Mandhana All But Confirmed As India’s New Captain- Report
