'It's India's Loss': R Ashwin Puts Shreyas Iyer In Line As Next T20I Captain
Former Indian cricketer R Ashwin has batted for Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer's inclusion in the Indian T20I side.
- Cricket
- 2 min read
Shreyas Iyer has continued his upward trajectory with another sensational knock to guide the Punjab Kings to their 4th win in IPL 2026. Iyer has remained in conversation for a place in India's T20I side, but he hasn't featured in the shortest format for Men In Blue. He wasn't even picked in India's T20 World Cup squad, which defended the title earlier this year under the tutelage of Suryakumar Yadav.
R Ashwin Bats For Shreyas Iyer's Inclusion In T20I Side
Iyer's contribution to the Punjab Kings' fortunes has been immense. Since he was snapped for an INR 26.75 crore, he has turned PBKS into a serious winning machine. Punjab might have lost the IPL 2025 final, but Shreyas has infused a unique positive energy into the side, which has reflected in their performance. The Punjab captain once again stole the limelight with his 35-ball 66, and R Ashwin has now batted for his inclusion in the Indian white-ball team once again.
On his YouTube channel, he said, If a player like Shreyas Iyer is still not in the scheme of things (T20 side) or the leadership group, then it’s not his loss it’s our (India’s) loss.
“Why should he have to answer to anyone? By channelling that inner fire, Shreyas has shown everyone exactly what excellence looks like. People raised constant questions, claiming he couldn't handle the short ball. But look at how he responded to Jasprit Bumrah, using a front press to dispatch a short delivery over mid-wicket for a massive six.”
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Shreyas Iyer Turned Punjab Kings Into A Winning Unit
Punjab have remained the only team who remain unbeaten in IPL 2026. They lost to RCB in the IPL 2025 final, but Shreyas Iyer and Co. have looked solid this season. The likes of Prabhsimran Singh and Iyer have led the batting department, while in the bowling, Arshdeep Singh and Vyshak Vijaykumar have been impressive.
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They have gelled well as a batting unit, and against Sunrisers Hyderabad, they became the first T20 side to chase down 200+ targets more than 10 times.