Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is just a few weeks away. Teams have started preparations for the world’s toughest T20 league. Punjab Kings have started their training just a few weeks ago as the Shreyas Iyer-led side will once again be eyeing the IPL title having lost the final to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) last season.
Shreyas Iyer had an excellent performance with Punjab Kings (PBKS) last season. He led the team to its first final in more than a decade. Iyer was the leading run scorer for the team, as he had scored 604 runs in the competition last season, and finished as the sixth leading run scorer of the tournament.
Shreyas Iyer will regret not being a part of the T20 team – Irfan Pathan
Despite his exceptional performances in the IPL, he was not a part of the T20 World Cup 2026. Ahead of IPL 2026, former Punjab Kings cricketer Irfan Pathan, while speaking on StarSports, has shared his views on Shreyas Iyer’s excellent leadership qualities and his consistent performances in ODIs.
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Irfan said, “Shreyas Iyer will regret not being a part of the T20 squad, which can definitely happen for the Indian team as the competition is very high. However, he definitely has the potential, and there is still room in the team for a player like him in the middle-order. So I am sure he will be thinking of a comeback.”
Here is the video
An excellent captain and a proven batsman! 🔥@irfanpathan I have full confidence in the captain of @PunjabKings @ShreyasIyer! motiv#TATAIPL 2026 👉 Starts from 28th March! pic.twitter.com/9MaUMapMqI
– Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) 14 March 2026
The kind of performance he performs this year will be important – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan further said, “The way he performs this year will be important. If he performs well, it will be in the same way Shreyas Iyer has consistently proven himself over the last few years. He is already a proven cricketer and remains a very important part of India’s core in One-day Internationals.”
“But when it comes to T20 cricket, his performances as a spinner have been excellent. When he returns here, he will have the same mindset. The improvement he has shown in his batting against fast bowling is encouraging, and if he continues to contribute with his spin, he can become even more valuable to the team.”
Shreyas Iyer is looking for his second IPL title
Shreyas was out of the ODI team due to a rib injury suffered during the ODI series against Australia. Iyer returned in the ODI series against New Zealand. Shreyas is an IPL winner with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2024. The following season, he was selected by PBKS and has been the second highest paid cricketer in IPL history.
Iyer would like to continue his form in the IPL and win the first silverware for PBKS. Earlier, former RCB captain Anil Kumble was described as an underrated but amazing leader. The former RCB legend believes that it is difficult for a captain to win a trophy with one team and then move to another team.
PBKS full squad for IPL 2026
Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vishak, Yash Thakur, Marco Johnson, Lockie Ferguson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Priyansh Arya, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, Payal Avinash, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Praveen Dubey
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