The Asia Cup is around the corner, and as always, before a tournament, the most hotly contested topic is not the conditions, or weather, or even the opposition, but team selection. India is about to announce their squad, and as usual, there is some buzz. One name that keeps coming up in conversation when people are discussing the team, when there may have been another option, is Shreyas Iyer.
His Form in T20s Is Just Too Good to Ignore
Consistency is an oft-used term in cricket, but when we talk about Shreyas Iyer, it means something. Yes, he hasn’t played a T20I since 2023, but just look at the numbers he has produced since then in domestic cricket and the IPL. In IPL 2025, playing for Punjab Kings, he piled up 600+ runs at an average above 50 with a blistering strike rate of 175.07. That’s not just good, that’s world-class finishing combined with top-order stability.
Before this, he also impressed for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring just under 350 runs in eight innings with a strike rate of 188. Add in his 2024 campaign when he captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to a championship while batting aggressively, and it adds up to a player not only in form, but thriving in that form.
Not Just Runs—Why Iyer Could Be India’s Future Captain
In cricket, true leadership isn’t measured in boundaries but in how a player steadies the ship when the tide turns rough. Suryakumar Yadav is leading well now, but by 2028, India will need someone younger and proven to step up.
Shreyas Iyer fits the bill perfectly. Iyer has led Mumbai to a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taken Delhi Capitals to their first IPL final, lifted the IPL with KKR in 2024, and carried Punjab Kings to the 2025 final. That success with different teams is not a fluke; that is the smart captaincy and calmness under pressure. Not including him in the squad would not only mean losing a reliable batter; it would mean passing up the opportunity to develop a future leader for Indian cricket.
India’s Middle Order Needs Stability—And Fast
Let’s be reasonable, India’s top-order seems sorted. Abhishek Sharma is looking solid at the top, Sanju Samson has shown he can explode on his day, and Suryakumar Yadav is still Mr Reliable. After that, it all gets very murky very quickly. The no. 5 spot is in the middle of a revolving door, with Rinku Singh also in fluctuating form, the all-rounder’s roles changing with little semblance of consistency.
This is where Shreyas Iyer becomes priceless. He is the stabilizer who can anchor the innings if there is a collapse or go bananas if there is a platform. These adapting skills have made Iyer the missing piece in India’s batting order. In the simplest terms, without Iyer, the middle order looks flimsy. With him, it looks whole.
FAQs:
- How many runs did Shreyas Iyer score in IPL 2025?
He scored over 600 runs at an average above 50 and a strike rate of 175.
- Has Shreyas Iyer played a T20I recently?
No, his last T20I appearance came in 2023.
- Why is India’s middle order a concern?
Because options like Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya haven’t been consistently reliable.
- How would Iyer’s leadership benefit India’s plans?
He could be groomed as a potential T20 captain after Suryakumar Yadav.
