While Shreyas Iyer may not have clinched the IPL 2025 trophy with Punjab Kings (PBKS), his leadership qualities and personal performance have earned him significant admiration — and potentially a spot in contention for India’s white-ball captaincy.
Speaking on The Grade Cricketer podcast, PBKS assistant coach Brad Haddin praised Iyer’s decision-making and batting brilliance, especially during Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad. Haddin highlighted how Iyer defied data and team planning by choosing to bowl first—a move that proved to be match-winning.
“Everything — from analytics to team strategies — pointed to batting first. But Shreyas came in and said, ‘No, we’re bowling.’ Punter [Ricky Ponting] said, ‘Okay, let the captain decide.’ He backed himself, and then came out to chase and played one of the best IPL knocks I’ve ever seen,” said Haddin.
Despite data showing that Ahmedabad favours teams batting first, Iyer’s gut call paid off. Mumbai Indians posted a challenging 204, but Iyer led from the front, scoring an unbeaten 87 off 41 balls in a rain-hit match, guiding PBKS to the IPL final — their first since 2014.
Though PBKS lost the final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by a narrow margin of six runs, Iyer’s back-to-back IPL final appearances — with KKR in 2024 and PBKS in 2025 — have reignited the discussion around his leadership credentials.
The BCCI has yet to announce Rohit Sharma’s white-ball successor, but the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will be watching closely ahead of India’s next ODI assignment in Bangladesh. Haddin’s public endorsement could further bolster Iyer’s case.
“He was outstanding throughout the whole tournament. I hope when they pick the next Indian captain, they seriously consider Iyer,” Haddin added.