Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has stated that if Shreyas Iyer goes on to win the T20 World Cup as captain for India in 2028, he would not need any endorsement for leadership from anyone. Often called an underappreciated captain, Shreyas is the only skipper in the history of the Indian Premier League to lead three different teams to IPL finals.ย
He led Delhi Capitals to the IPL 2020 final, whereย his side fell short to Mumbai Indians and then captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2024 title before ending as a runner-up skipper with Punjab Kings to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2025.ย
Due to an injury in 2021, he was replaced as skipper at DC and was not handed back the charge when he returned. He moved to KKR, where he led the team to the title in 2024, but left the squad with reports stating that he wasn’t given due credit. Shreyas then led PBKS to the 2025 final, where his team fell short to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Aakash Chopra speaks on Shreyas’ captaincy and why he left DC and KKR
Former cricketer Chopra spoke on Shreyas’ what could have gone through the DC management’s mind when their skipper was injured. “Shreyas Iyer got injured in the middle of the season, and it was always between him and Rishabh Pant, two young players Delhi had invested in. Then you hand over the captaincy to someone else. You want what is right for the franchise more than what is right for the player,” Chopra said on JioStar’s ‘IPL Today Live’.
“If you can stop either of them from leaving, and if both want to be Captain, we are not privy to that information, but the fact is they must have had a conversation and felt that Rishabh is indispensable. They needed him, and since he had already been given the captaincy, they decided to stick with him. Shreyas must have felt that if he were to stay at the franchise, he would want the captaincy as well. So, he moved to a different franchise and did well.
He also spoke about why Shreyas didn’t get much credit at KKR. “I think his contribution as a leader got diluted a bit in the narrative thatโs often set by people who are not a part of the team. Two things happened at KKR with Shreyas Iyer. He was in a setup where the coach was also a very strong and popular personality.ย
“That wasnโt the case with MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma, or even Virat Kohli at RCB, where there wasnโt such a dominant figure outside calling the shots. Here, you had Gautam Gambhir, a very successful player and a very good mentor. The others, MS, Rohit and Kohli, have been India Captains for a significant period and very successful ones. Credit is already given to them on a platter. In Shreyasโ case, he is not an India Captain. But he is now getting his due, because he is doing so well.”
Aakash says Shreyas will not need endorsement if he wins T20 WC for India
Meanwhile, the former cricketer further stated that Shreyas will not need any endorsement on leadership if he goes on to win the T20 World Cup 2028 for India as captain. “If you think that if he wins one more trophy (IPL), everything will suddenly change and everyone will stand up and applaud, that may not happen. The appreciation may get louder, but his aura will not change overnight.ย
“Something like that can happen only in one scenario. The next T20 World Cup is in 2028. I am not saying that Indiaโs T20 leadership will change immediately, but there is a possibility a couple of years down the line. If he stakes a claim to that spot, scores runs, which is the first criterion, takes his team to the playoffs, the final, or wins the trophy, and somehow becomes Indiaโs T20I Captain in the near future, whether in 12 months or by the next World Cup, then everything will change. He could even become a World Cup-winning captain for India, and that aura is different. Then he would not need any endorsement from anyone.”