IPL 2026: As reflected in Iyer performances in the IPL and domestic cricket for Mumbai,Shreyas Iyer has grown immensely. Is he the right candidate to replace Suryakumar Yadav as next T20I skipper of India based on his recent form and captaincy?
India have barely completed celebrating the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 victory, but in typical fashion, cricket has already hit fast-forward. It feels similar to 2024, when the confetti settled, Rohit Sharma called time on his T20I career and Rahul Dravid stepped aside, silently triggering a reset. Now, history feels to be flirting with a sequel, with Suryakumar Yadav in his mid-30s and Shreyas Iyer waiting in the wings like a very convincing understudy.
To be fair, leadership is not the issue. Not when Suryakumar has just become the first captain to successfully defend a title of Men’s T20 World Cup. That’s legacy stuff. The actual plot issue lies elsewhere, with the bat.
Yes, there was that effervescent 84 versus USA, the innings which reminds you why he is box-office. But the eight innings that followed? only 158 runs.
And now comes the interesting bit. Later this year a tour of the UK, with subplots quietly building in the background. Due to this isn’t just another bilateral series, it could very well shape what comes next. With the Los Angeles Olympics and the T20 World Cup 2028 on the horizon, each innings begins to carry a bit more weight.
Which brings us to the man who is waiting in the shadows. Shreyas Iyer. In control, in form, and increasingly ticking the captaincy boxes in the T20 format. If again Suryakumar Yadav finds his rhythm, the script stays intact. If not, then India have already a ready-made alternative lined up as Shreyas Iyer.
