Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin The captain of Punjab Kings has been praised. Shreyas IyerHighlighting his evolution as both a batsman and a leader over the past two years. Ashwin believes that Iyer is steadily growing as a captain that the players trust and look up to, crediting his leadership style and consistent performance with the bat as key factors in Punjab’s success.Iyer’s leadership journey gained prominence last season when he led PBKS to their first IPL final in 11 years. His unbeaten 87 off 41 balls against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 not only highlighted his batting class but also his ability to perform under pressure. The win made PBKS’ first successful 200 plus chase against Mumbai in IPL history.This season, Iyer has carried that momentum forward. With four wins from five matches (with one washout), Punjab Kings are currently at the top of the IPL 2026 points table.Creating a ‘fraternal’ cultureAshwin pointed out that Iyer’s greatest strength as a captain lies in the atmosphere he has created within the team. “Just the calmness that he’s creating around the team, to say, we’ll have a brotherly conversation. It’s a brotherhood here. At the end of the day, I’ve played in teams where there’s always that layer that you can’t… You can’t just go to the captain or the coach and say, ‘I’ll get it for you’. And that’s what happened,” Ashwin said on the Times SCOPSP NSPOSP programme.“Just the fact that he’s kept it simple like it’s done in your street or at your tennis ball game back home, where we do it all the time with our captain or with our friend. The atmosphere is amazing. And I think the way he’s batting, he’s growing into a leader that the players look up to, which is a lethal combination,” Ashwin added. Iyer’s excellent batting form has further strengthened his captaincy. The right-hander has scored 203 runs at a strike rate of 187.96 in five matches this season, including scores of 50, 69* and 66 in his last three innings.According to Ashwin, Iyer’s presence at the crease is scaring the bowlers now.“His sheer presence (at the crease) is scaring the bowlers in many ways. And how did he do that? His hunger to improve himself is sensational. I’ve played cricket for a long time. I’ve spoken to many cricketers, many don’t want to give up the things they’re good at and where they can see a lot of weaknesses. Didn’t work on their weaknesses at all,” he concluded.
