'Seal A Spot First': Zaheer Khan's Big Advise For Shreyas Iyer Amid India Captaincy Talks

Shreyas Iyer has become the latest talk of the town following his impressive captaincy of Punjab Kings. Under his leadership, PBKS reached their first IPL final in 11 years in 2025, where they eventually lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In the ongoing 2026 season, the Punjab-based franchise has continued its fine run and remains unbeaten after six matches. With the team's success, discussions have emerged not only about Iyer's inclusion in India's T20I setup but also about the possibility of him being appointed captain of the national side in the format. 

However, former India pacer Zaheer Khan has advised Iyer to remain focused on his own game rather than getting carried away by captaincy speculation.

Notably, Iyer was not part of India's T20 World Cup-winning squad earlier this year in March 2026. Speaking on Cricbuzz, Zaheer stressed that Iyer's immediate priority should be to earn a place back in the Indian team and prove his value as a player before thinking about leadership responsibilities.

"First, being part of the T20 setup will be on his mind. Captaincy, I am not sure if he is thinking about that right now. He can be a contender in due course because he has been captaining franchises for a while now and has been successful. So, he clearly has that mindset," Zaheer said on Cricbuzz.

"When you are looking at the Indian T20 setup, I think he must be thinking first and foremost of making an impact with his performances as just a player to secure a spot. Once you are in the squad, then the rest of the things are up to how the team management is looking at things," he added.

On Sunday, PBKS registered a massive 54-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants in Mullanpur. Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly smashed 93 and 87 respectively as PBKS posted 254/7 -- the highest total of this IPL season.

"Exceptional partnership, some shots were jaw-dropping. Hitting fast bowlers off the back-foot straight. Composure in the middle overs was sensational," Iyer said during the post-match presentation.

"Was talking with Cooper and Arya, said let's compete for the most no. of sixes. Prize is my bat, doesn't make sense but hope it'll make us happy. When you let players be, I think they just deliver. That's our mantra." Arya and Connolly added 182 runs in just 13.2 overs for a hugely entertaining second-wicket stand.

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Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Punjab Kings Shreyas Iyer IPL 2026 Cricket