Ricky Ponting Snatches BCCI's Credit For Shreyas Iyer's Captaincy Appointment

Ricky Ponting takes credit for BCCI's Shreyas Iyer move [Source: AFP]

Shreyas Iyer became India's full-time T20I captain, as the BCCI officially replaced Suryakumar Yadav with him. 

On Saturday, June 6, the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee announced India's T20I squads for the upcoming series against Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games. 

While Suryakumar Yadav's worrying form led to his ouster from the team, Shreyas Iyer replaced the T20 World Cup-winning captain as the new skipper of the Indian team. 

However, soon after Iyer succeeded Suryakumar, Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting made a bold revelation, explaining how he facilitated the BCCI's move to appoint him as the Indian T20I captain. 

Shreyas Iyer: Ricky Ponting's trusted ally in IPL

Shreyas Iyer's maiden stint as an IPL captain came for the Delhi Capitals, where he succeeded Gautam Gambhir in the 2018 season of the tournament. 

Interestingly, Ricky Ponting was the head coach of DC back then, and Gambhir's resignation meant he could work alongside Iyer for the rest of the season. 

Iyer and Ponting complemented each other, as their tactical nous guided the Capitals to the playoffs in 2019 and 2020 before the duo reunited at Punjab Kings for a second stint together. 

Their reunion brought the glory days back for PBKS too, with the franchise making an appearance in an IPL final after 11 years. This evidence suggests that Shreyas Iyer has been Ricky Ponting's trusted man in the IPL. 

Ricky Ponting takes credit from BCCI for Shreyas Iyer's captaincy appointment

Apart from leading Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to the IPL playoffs, Shreyas Iyer has also powered Kolkata Knight Riders to a title in the tournament. Thus, his decorated CV prompted the BCCI to consider him as Suryakumar Yadav's potential successor when the latter reached the twilight of his career. 

However, with fans praising the BCCI for giving Shreyas Iyer a much-deserved run as India's T20I captain, Ricky Ponting feels he is the one who originally sensed the Mumbaikar's leadership potential. 

Also Read: Potential New Head Coaches For Indian Team If Shreyas Iyer Becomes Captain

In an exclusive chat with the Times of India, Ponting reminisced about how he backed Shreyas Iyer as the captain when he was relatively young, giving him the perfect platform to showcase his mettle and present a strong case for his captaincy appointment. 

"I've been the one endorsing him for the role and telling the Indian selectors that if they give him a chance, I don't think they'll be disappointed," Ricky Ponting was quoted as saying by TOI. 

Speaking further, Ricky Ponting congratulated Shreyas Iyer for getting a chance to lead India in T20Is. He reckoned that Iyer deserved the honour and recognition for his successful captaincy stints with KKR, DC and PBKS in the IPL. 

"As I said, it's a great achievement. It's terrific recognition for the hard work he has put in over a long period of time, and I'm sure he'll do a great job as captain of India," he added. 

Shreyas Iyer tasked to fill a giant void left by Suryakumar Yadav

Although Suryakumar Yadav recently struggled to get going in the T20 World Cup and the IPL 2026, very few would argue that he is one of India's most successful and effective batters in the shortest format. 

Besides scoring 3272 runs at a strike rate of 162.94, Suryakumar Yadav led India to 40 T20I wins, including a World Cup triumph on home soil. 

Therefore, although Ricky Ponting has shown great faith in Shreyas Iyer, it'll be an uphill task for the Mumbaikar to replicate his predecessor's achievements as far as the shortest format is concerned. 

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