Former World Cup winning captain of Australia and current head coach of Punjab Kings Ricky Ponting believes Shreyas Iyer Has firmly established himself among the leading contenders to become India’s next T20 captain in the future. Ponting even suggested that the PBKS skipper could eventually emerge as a long-term leadership option ahead of current T20I skipper Surya Kumar Yadav.Iyer, who is leading the Punjab Kings in IPL 2026, recently entered the record books by becoming only the fifth captain in IPL history to lead a team in 100 matches. He joins an elite list that includes MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.The PBKS captain also holds a unique IPL record, becoming the only captain in the history of the tournament to guide three different franchises Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings to the IPL final.Punjab’s IPL 2026 campaign, however, has been a rollercoaster ride. After starting the season with an impressive unbeaten streak, PBKS suffered a dramatic slump, suffering six straight defeats, including the recent 23-run loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore. A poor run has put their play-off hopes under severe pressure heading into the final stages of the league stage.Despite the setbacks, Ponting, speaking to PTI, is impressed with Iyer’s growth as both a batsman and a leader.“I think there are many contenders, but as far as I’m concerned he’s the main contender. We saw at the start of the tournament how good a T20 player he is and he is both on and off the field,” Ponting said.The former Australian captain believes that Iyer has reached a new level of maturity in his career and is now in complete control of his game.“I think he’s a more mature player than he’s probably ever been in his entire career. He is now completely at the top of his game. It’s hard to maintain consistency through 14 games, and there are always ups and downs for individuals and teams.”Ponting said, “I am very confident that he will make a comeback in this last match.”The PBKS coach further revealed that he has been surprised for quite some time whenever Iyer has been overlooked in India’s T20 setup.“I’ve been quite vocal over the last two years that whenever India picks a team and Suriya isn’t in it, I’m always very surprised. On the back of this IPL, I’m sure he’s a name that the selectors will be talking about, not just to get back into the team, but to have the captaincy with his name,” Ponting said.“Speaking of Indian cricket It’s that you don’t just come back to teams. You have to score a lot of runs on the board and you have to do it in a certain way. He has had an impressive season so far, and his captaincy has been outstanding,” he explained.Ponting concluded by saying that Iyer seems to be at the best stage of his career and could take on a bigger leadership role if the opportunity arises.“I think he’s at that little sweet spot in his life and career where, if the captaincy comes his way, I think he’ll make the most of it.”
