Former India spinner Anil Kumble has praised the captaincy skills showcased by Shreyas Iyer in recent times during the Indian Premier League (IPL). This comes before the start of Iyer’s second season as the captain of the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Kumble was left impressed by how Iyer captained the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title in 2024 and then took PBKS to only their second IPL final. This was after KKR decided to not retain their title-winning captain ahead of the mega auction in 2025.
“Shreyas Iyer is certainly an underrated skipper. It is not easy to win a trophy with one franchise and then go to another. There is a different management, atmosphere and a team. The pressure is also different. The new franchise he joined had not played in the final in the last 10 years and in just his first season with the Punjab Kings, he took them to the final. I was not just impressed by his captaincy, but the way he led the team from the front. There are some players who have to prove themselves every time. Shreyas is like that. Even after performing, questions still come up. I think he is underrated, but is an exceptional leader,” Kumble was quoted as saying on JioStar.
After KKR let him go, PBKS signed the Mumbai-born during the 2025 mega-auction for an eye-watering INR 26.75 crore and instantly made him their captain, acknowledging his strong resume as a leader in the shortest format of the game. The 31-year-old led from the front last season, scoring 604 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07.
Iyer also led a relatively young side to the IPL final last season. The right-handed batter got the best out of the likes of Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and Nehal Wadhera, to name a few.
PBKS will open their 2026 IPL campaign against the Gujarat Titans on March 31 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium in Mohali with the hopes of going one better than their previous season.
