With each passing day, Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer is gaining popularity for his leadership skills, guiding the Punjab-based side to the top of the points table after just nine games. Former CSK star Suresh Raina has drawn similarities between Iyer and that of former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin.
Suresh Raina compares Shreyas Iyer with Mohammad Azharuddin
In an interaction with Jio Hotstar, Suresh Rana lauded Iyer's leadership skills, calling him a fearless person who brings a unique style to every side and leads from front.
"Wherever he has gone, whichever franchise he has played for, he has brought a different brand of cricket. He has been fearless as a captain and has led from the front. Be it Delhi, KKR, or even Punjab - they played the final last year after a gap of 11 years. You can see why he is a good captain, because his communication off the field seems to be brilliant,"
While talking about his body language and personality Suresh compared former DC skipper to Mohammad Azharuddin, as everyone used to feel confident and backed under the latter's captaincy.
"He backs his players, and when you see him walk around with that swag, his body language reminds me of Azhar bhai. When Mohammad Azharuddin was the captain, the players around him had a different level of confidence. Everyone has a different style of leadership, and with Shreyas, you get both composure and bold decision-making. When Punjab bats, you see them going all-out attack, and similarly with the bowling as well," he added.
Currently, PBKS is facing Sunrisers Hyderabad in their ongoing IPL 2026 clash, which is being played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first against the Pat Cummmins' led side.
Punjab Kings (Playing XI):
Prabhsimran Singh(w), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer(c), Shashank Singh, Suryansh Shedge, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
PBKS' Impact Sub: Arya, Brar, Bartlett, Musheer, Vinod
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI):
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain
SRH's Impact Sub: Abhishek, Head, Kishan, Klaasen, Smaran, Salil, Nitish, Cummins, Shivang, Malinga, Sakib
Shreyas Iyer's red hot form in IPL 2026
As a batter, Shreyas Iyer is going through a wonderful season with Punjab Kings, scoring 328 runs in nine games at an average of 54.67 with a strike rate of 165.66. The star India batter has managed to register four half-centuries in the tournament, with his best score of unbeaten 71 against Delhi Capitals (DC).