Shreyas Iyer opens up on captaincy, says leadership gets the best out of him

India’s middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has opened up on the leadership role and said the captaincy gets the best out of him. Iyer recently led Punjab Kings to the Indian Premier League 2025 final, but the team could not cross the last hurdle against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

The PBKS captain led from the front as he scored 604 runs in 17 matches of the season at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07. 

Iyer also played a match-winning knock of 87 runs off just 41 balls in the second qualifier against the Mumbai Indians.

“It (captaincy) brings in a lot of maturity and responsibility. You are always expected to perform and contribute in the best way possible for the team because whenever there is a hurdle or some kind of adversity you face as a team, they always come to the captain,” Iyer told the T20 Mumbai League.

“I think I have got a lot of experience, as I have been captaining since I was 22. I have enjoyed the moments and also embraced it. I love the fact to come out and lead,” added Iyer.

Iyer said he tries his best to stay focused on the job at hand and deliver for his team in every situation.

“I just try to get into my zone, and I try to do things which are there in front of me. I try to stay focused as much as possible, just stay in the present, embrace the situation, and embrace the crowd because sometimes they get very electrifying and pass on the energy to you. So I keep telling myself that I want the crowd to cheer my name, and that brings that kind of motivation,” he said.

Iyer is currently playing for Sobo Mumbai Falcons in the T20 Mumbai these days.