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Punjab Kings have maintained their steady path since they lost to RCB in the IPL 2025 final and have emerged as a title contender this season too. Shreyas Iyer has led PBKS with extreme distinction and they could be one of the first teams to qualify for the playoffs, having already bagged 13 points this season. PBKS will host high-flying Sunrisers Hyderabad in a crucial IPL 2026 encounter on Wednesday.

Irfan Pathan Heaps Praise On Shreyas Iyer

Iyer's steady rise has already seen him being included in the conversation to be the next T20I captain as Suryakumar Yadav's successor. The 31-year-old missed out on a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad, but his consistent performance both as a captain and a batter hasn't gone unnoticed.

He led the Delhi Capitals to the IPL final and finally tasted success with KKR in IPL 2024. He also guided Punjab to IPL 2025 final but failed to replicate his charisma.

Now, Irfan Pathan has heaped praises on the PBKS captain, comparing his leadership with MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.

In an interaction with JioStar, he said, “On that list of MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir, I feel Shreyas Iyer has to be right up there among the best captains. It is not easy to take three different franchises to the finals. Each franchise is different; their culture, setup, and their mindset is completely different. To adjust to those things and then lead the way forward is not easy. No one has ever done it."

Iyer has so far amassed 328 runs in 9 matches at a strike rate of 165.66. Punjab are currently topping the IPL table and a win against SRH will further consolidate their position at the top.