"He is going to be around Indian cricket for long" - Isa Guha's massive statement on Team India star's captaincy prospects amid IPL 2025

Former England pacer Isa Guha believes star Indian batter Shreyas Iyer will serve his side for several years, thanks to his excellent captaincy credentials. The 30-year-old is coming off an incredible showing in the recent 2025 Champions Trophy.

Iyer was India's leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 243 runs at an average of 48.60 and a strike rate of almost 80. His consistency in the middle-order played a massive role in India's Champions Trophy triumph.

Batting aside, Iyer has also proved his leadership mettle over the past year. He led Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title last year. However, his rise to fame came from leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to one of the most dominant single-season runs in IPL history.

Under Iyer, KKR finished atop the points table in IPL 2024 and brushed aside the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) twice in Qualifier One and the final to win their third title.

Talking about Iyer's captaincy and his evolution as a player in a recent media interaction, Isa Guha said:

"He is a seriously quality player. The talk about Shreyas is that he is going to be around Indian cricket for long. There is going to be focus on his ability as captain and leadership as the leaders are getting a little bit older in the Indian setup. So, you are possibly looking at who the next person is."

Iyer has played all three formats for India since his debut in 2017. However, he is currently out of favor in the Test and T20I formats but is a central figure for India in ODIs.

"Under Ricky Ponting, he is going to be learning a lot" - Isa Guha

Ricky Ponting took over as PBKS' head coach ahead of the 2025 IPL season [Credit: Getty]

Isa Guha believes Shreyas Iyer can further evolve as a leader, working with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting in the Punjab Kings (PBKS) setup. Iyer was appointed PBKS skipper ahead of the 2025 IPL season, with Ponting taking over as head coach.

The duo worked wonders previously with the Delhi Capitals in similar roles, helping the side advance to their first and only final in 2020.

"Under Ricky Ponting, he is going to be learning a lot. To have that opportunity to work with Ricky is huge. And Ricky is a coach who will bring out the best in a lot of these players," said Isa Guha.

The Iyer-Ponting association with PBKS has begun on a positive note, with the side winning five out of their first eight games in IPL 2025. They are currently placed fifth on the points table with six games left in the league stage.