Shreyas Iyer minced no words while speaking about his elevation as the captain of the Indian T20I team at an event in Mumbai on Sunday (June 7). The right-handed batter was named captain of the side in the shortest format by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), while the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee named the squad for the upcoming series against Ireland and England as well as the 2026 Asian Games.
Shreyas will replace Suryakumar Yadav in the top job, who led India to the 2026 T20 World Cup but was dropped from the side for their next assignment after the title victory. This also means that the right-handed batter will be reunited with head coach Gautam Gambhir. The duo has worked together before in a leadership role, as Gambhir was the mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) when Shreyas led them to the title in 2024.
Reacting to his appointment, Shreyas claimed that he will not be under anyone’s shadow and not change his personality either. The right-handed batter pointed out that he has a winning mindset, which came as he faced a lot of challenges growing up.
“I obviously loved challenges growing up, especially being from Mumbai, where the cricket is pretty big and the competition is high. Every other kid on the street wants to represent Mumbai in cricket, and I faced a lot of challenges growing up. So my mindset was always about winning against everyone that I challenged.
“Whether it’s about learning or winning, that’s secondary, but the more fun you have growing up, the more competitive nature you have, especially while playing cricket or any other sport in general. I think that takes you to another level and you want to take that sort of responsibility,” Shreyas said during the event to promote the Kubani Premier League.
“Even when I’ve got this job right now as captain, it’s a great challenge. At the same time, I don’t have to change my personality. I have to be the same person how I was before and not try to be someone else or be under someone’s shadow,” the Indian T20I captain added.
Shreyas’ appointment comes at an interesting time as he has not played for the team in the shortest format since December 2023. He was not part of either the 2024 or 2026 T20 World Cup-winning squads. However, he is now the top contender to lead India in their title defense in the 2028 edition as well as the 2026 Los Angeles games.
Shreyas is also the vice-captain of the Indian ODI team, which is led by Shubman Gill.
