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Former Vidarbha and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit has welcomed the appointment of Shreyas Iyer as India’s new T20I captain. He said that Shreyas Iyer has always impressed with his leadership skills and batting ability in both domestic cricket and IPL.
Recently, when the selectors announced the T20I squad for the Ireland and England tours as well as the Asian Games 2026, Iyer replaced Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain. However, Iyer’s first T20I assignment as captain is likely to be delayed.
Chandrakant Pandit praised Shreyas Iyer’s Indian captaincy
Ahead of his captaincy debut in Ireland, Chandrakant Pandit had stressed that Shreyas Iyer fully deserves the role after patiently waiting for his chance. The former Mumbai coach also said that the right-handed batsman continued to score runs despite missing chances in the past and everyone was demanding his inclusion in the national team.
However, the Mumbaikar had to wait a few seasons before finally getting the recognition he richly deserved. He also praised Ajit Agarkar and the selection committee for showing faith in Iyer, as he was happy that his time had finally come after a long wait.
Chandrakant Pandit said on RevSportz, “I would say it is absolutely right to make Shreyas Iyer the captain of the Indian team, because I have seen him not only at Kolkata Knight Riders, but I have also seen him during his stint as the coach of the Mumbai team. And he always shows those skills, abilities and a lot more; I think he is a lovely player. And he is scoring runs, a lot of runs.”
He further added, “And then he has been appointed, not only included in the team, but he has been appointed the captain of India, which is a very good decision, I would say. Ajit Agarkar and the chairman of the entire committee, I would really appreciate this decision as well.”
Pandit opens up about Shreyas Iyer’s management skills and biggest strength as captain
The former KKR coach has further said that Shreyas Iyer’s biggest strength as a captain is his ability to quickly understand match situations and take fearless decisions without any hesitation. Not just pundits, PBKS co-owner Shreyas Iyer was extremely impressed and made a big prediction.
Pandit said: “Well, he understands the situation very quickly. And he also has a fearless approach to taking decisions. I mean, he doesn’t hesitate in taking decisions. That’s a quality of a captain, which is required. Because, you know, nobody is perfect on the field. But to understand that situation instantly, and then you assess it and take a decision, you also need courage.”
Exclusive: “Shreyas Iyer is a fearless captain. He had a huge role in KKR winning the title. He is never afraid of taking tough decisions.”
“Vaibhav Suryavanshi is young. As a coach you have to manage him a little differently. You have to resort to a little soft touch to allow… pic.twitter.com/L2wrEJ0Cbs
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) June 12, 2026
When asked about his man-management skills in terms of handling superstars, Pandit lauded Iyer’s calm and simple leadership style. He said that Shreyas never creates unnecessary problems and his only expectation from every player is 100% commitment and effort on the field.
The former coach added, “He’s never had any problems because, like I said, he’s always been a good guy. And he doesn’t bother anybody about anything as long as everybody gives him 100% in the middle.”
Chandrakant Pandit breaks silence on KKR-Iyer controversy
The former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman also shared that he and Iyer worked well together during their time at KKR and are happy with what they achieved, including the IPL title. He believed that Shreyas was more unfortunate as he brought success to the team but did not get the same recognition.
On Iyer’s exit from KKR, the former coach said, “Nobody put pressure on Iyer. It was not that he was not fitting into the strategy or the combination. So, unfortunately, it was only because of last-minute decisions; you know, it doesn’t work with you.”
However, Pandit did not comment on whether Shreyas Iyer got enough recognition as captain or whether KKR missed him, but he emphasized that the franchise has always respected and appreciated the former skipper. He had a very good and comfortable working relationship with Iyer as coach and there is no bad blood between them.
