Shreyas Iyer's first statement as India T20I captain turns heads: 'I won't be under anyone's shadow'

On Saturday afternoon, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia made the much-anticipated announcement. Iyer took over the reins of the T20I captaincy from Suryakumar, who had led the Indian team to the T20 World Cup title in March.

Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Iyer said he would remain the same person who grew up in a challenging cricket environment in the city and made it clear that he refused to stay under anyone's shadow.

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"I don't have to change my personality. I have to be the same person how I was before, and not try to be someone else or be under someone's shadow. I obviously loved challenges growing up, especially being from Mumbai, where cricket is pretty big and competition is high. Every other kid on the street wants to represent Mumbai," he said on the sidelines of Playtime 2026 in Mumbai, organised by Kabuni, which unveiled an AI-powered platform aimed at making elite-level cricket coaching accessible to all. The event was also graced by legendary cricketers including Sourav Ganguly, Shane Watson and AB de Villiers.

This will be the second time Iyer will be working under Gautam Gambhir, with the two having previously joined forces at the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024. Iyer was the captain, while Gambhir served as the mentor. In the wake of KKR's run to the IPL title, Gambhir, a two-time IPL-winning captain himself for the franchise, received much of the credit, with Iyer often sidelined in the conversation.

The Indian batter later parted ways with KKR, while Gambhir took up the India head coach's role just a month later. Iyer joined Punjab Kings for the next IPL season and led the unfancied side to the final, once again proving his credentials as a leader. It was a campaign that ultimately tipped the scales in his favour for the India T20I captaincy.

"My mindset was always about winning, against everyone that I challenged, so whether it's about learning or winning that is secondary. But the more fun you have growing up, the more competitive nature you develop, especially while playing cricket or any other sport in general," said Iyer.

"I think that takes you to another level and makes you want to take that sort of responsibility. Even when I've got this job right now, or a responsibility as a captain, it's a great challenge at the same time," he added.

Iyer's first assignment as India's T20I captain will be a two-match series in Ireland later this month, followed by a five-match series in England in July and then the Asian Games.

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