Shreyas Iyer’s standout captaincy and performance in IPL 2025, leading Punjab Kings to the final, make him a strong contender for New ODI Captain. Scoring 603 runs at a 175.80 strike rate, Iyer’s IPL Final Success highlights his revival.
His career can be divided into two periods: prior to and following his February 2024 BCCI Contract Snub, which sparked Shreyas Iyer’s comeback and established him as a strong contender for the position of New ODI Captain.
Iyer had undoubtedly shown glimmers of his extraordinary skill and promise on the field before this point. Despite his unquestionably successful ODI World Cup campaign, he did not achieve the same level of success in Test and T20 International cricket during that period.
However, Iyer’s performance and approach appeared to change significantly after he was taken off the central contract. In his batting, he seemed to have unleashed a new level of aggression and fearlessness.
He displayed a more aggressive and dominant style of play during the IPL 2024 season, demonstrating this change. However, it turned out that this was just the start of the gifted batsman’s incredible comeback.
Leading candidate for New ODI Captain Shreyas Iyer demonstrated his class with outstanding domestic performances after the 2025 Indian Premier League. Iyer’s domestic dominance was bolstered by his impressive double century and 68.57 average in the Ranji Trophy, which was a significant improvement over his sub-50 first-class average. His Ranji Trophy Double Century and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy form, which averaged 50 at a scorching 188 strike rate, further solidified his claim to be the next ODI captain.
He scored 325 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 131.58 in five games while being dismissed just once, demonstrating remarkable consistency in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Iyer’s Expanding Horizons
“Right now he just plays ODIs but after this IPL we can’t keep him out of T20 internationals and even Tests,” a BCCI source told Indian Express.
In addition to his outstanding performances, Shreyas Iyer has formally joined the discussion about possible future captains. He has previously captained Mumbai in domestic cricket and has demonstrated his leadership skills in the IPL, most notably as captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders. His leadership in the IPL 2025 was especially impressive, and many commentators compared him to the highly regarded MS Dhoni, deeming him the tournament’s best captain.
With Rohit Sharma nearing the end of his playing days as India’s ODI captain, the BCCI might give Shreyas Iyer serious consideration to succeed him. Iyer is a strong candidate for the ODI captaincy in Indian cricket going forward due to his proven leadership abilities and reliable batting performances.
“Plus, he also has now officially joined the white-ball captaincy race,” the source added.
