Indian batting star Shreyas Iyer has impressed everyone in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he leads the Punjab Kings (PBKS) pack. Be it his captaincy, penchant to score runs
in the middle order, or being his athletic best on the field, the 31-year-old continues to grab attention and be a regular topic of online discourse in a league where upcoming cricketers understandably get the most push, dreaming of kickstarting their cricket careers.
However, IPL viewers have wondered why Iyer, despite being a force to reckon with in the past few years, hasn’t been considered by the selectors to lead India in the T20I format. A large section of cricket supporters firmly believes that Iyer makes for a strong future leadership candidate in the shortest form of the game. Iyer did not feature in the T20I World Cup 2024 and 2026.
Here’s what Iyer has done so far in the IPL 2026 and beyond, which has placed him in the trending cycles on the Indian Internet:
Punjab Kings – A Solid Unit
The first few weeks of IPL 2026 have already witnessed incredible drama on the field as well as in the points table. At the time of writing, the formidable sides such as the Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders are at the bottom of the table. In sharp contrast, Punjab Kings, the Runners-up of the previous season, who are yet to taste victory since the inception of the celebrated league, sit firmly on top, having remained undefeated in four contests and earning a single point during a washed-out game.
Punjab Kings have 9 points to their name. IPL 2025 Champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (8 points), remain a close second with four wins and a loss in their five outings.
Shreyas Iyer – A Solid Batter
As Iyer continues to impress the audiences and cricket pundits with his strong captaincy and on-field tactics, his batting prowess in the middle order has only complemented his bright leadership skills.
In his four outings thus far, Iyer has accumulated 203 runs with a sequence of 50, 69*, and 66. The 66 came in the successful run chase against Mumbai Indians where Punjab Kings outplayed the Mumbai franchise by 7 wickets and 21 deliveries to spare.
His ongoing exploits with the bat have put him in the race for the Orange Cap in IPL 2026. Former Punjab and Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise on PBKS skipper and said “What I like about Shreyas is that it not only he who performs, he makes the batter at the other end play well too,” before adding, “Whatever he touches turns to gold.”
Shreyas Iyer – A Solid Fielder
Iyer’s freak catch in an encounter against Mumbai Indians left Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav gobsmacked after he managed to pull off along the boundary ropes to send Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya packing on Thursday evening.
Pandya was looking to score runs when he skied one of Punjab Kings (PBKS) pacer Marco Jansen’s deliveries during the 18th over of the first innings of the MI vs PBKS encounter at Wankhede Stadium. The ball had enough legs to hurtle over the boundary rope if it weren’t for Iyer stationed at the long-on.
SHREYAS IYER….. YOU ABSOLUTELY FREAK. 🤯
– The reaction of Rohit and Surya and an ice cold Celebration by Sarpanch Saab. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/dMOYLL7Phl
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 16, 2026
Iyer, not the one to let the ball escape him, leapt in the air, pouched the ball, and lobbed it back into play. All in a single motion. His teammate, Xavier Bartlett, who had hurried from the long-off area, was present to accept the ball, and he did so comfortably.
Why Is He Not In India’s T20I Squad?
Called “Rolls Royce” by PBKS coach Ricky Ponting in IPL 2025, Iyer hasn’t featured in either the T20I World Cup 2024 or T20I World Cup 2026 squads that emerged victorious in consecutive seasons of the marquee tournament. Despite being a hot property in IPL, taking Punjab to the finals of IPL 2025 and even ending that season as their leading run-scorer with 604 runs at a strike-rate of 175.07, Iyer has been unable to crack a spot in the Indian squad.
Questioning why Iyer wasn’t playing India across formats, PBKS owner Ness Wadia while speaking to Cricbuzz last year said: “Tests, of course, are different. And I just think there’s so much talent out here – it hurts when we lose to New Zealand and South Africa and others, especially at home, with such talent not being played, frankly. Shreyas is a good example. I mean, can someone give me one reason why Shreyas Iyer should not be part of the T20 team?”
Cricket Fans Speak Up
Having watched Iyer give it his all for his IPL franchise in IPL 2025 and going strong in the current season, even the fans have wondered what more it would take for Iyer to impress the selectors and receive a call for India’s T20I squad.
Also Read: How Shreyas Iyer Quietly Became Everyone’s Favourite Cricketer In IPL 2025
Good Captaincy, Good Batting, Great fielding- Shreyas Iyer does all but still gets ignored by selectors 🥲 pic.twitter.com/KJ11Ipbji4
— Rajabets 🇮🇳👑 (@rajabetsindia) April 17, 2026
-An impossible catch
-Dangerous power hitting
-Great captaincyShreyas Iyer can do everything except impressing the selectors pic.twitter.com/OkTEJhtRLx
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) April 16, 2026
Cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, impressed by Iyer’s on-field acrobatics, shared that the awareness shown by the Punjab captain while judging the boundary catch was one of the best grabs the Little Master had witnessed live.
“What made Shreyas Iyer’s catch so special was not just the athleticism, but the awareness behind it. He had to judge the speed of the ball, the height, where the boundary rope was, how close he was to stepping on it, and get his jump absolutely perfect,” Tendulkar wrote on X.
“Then, while still in the air, he caught the ball and released it to a teammate before landing, all the while knowing exactly where that fielder was positioned. To process all of that in a split second takes unbelievable awareness, timing, fitness, and composure. @ShreyasIyer15 got everything spot on. One of the best catches I’ve ever seen live!”
