Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 6 : Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has heaped praise on Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, calling him a "fearless captain".
He made the remarks ahead of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) today at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Iyer has captained PBKS well in the IPL 2026 season so far, winning six of their nine encounters and losing two with one game ending in a no-result. He has led the team from the front and has been amongst the top scorers in the tournament. Iyer has scored 328 runs in eight innings at an average of 54.67.
Shreyas Iyer has impressed as a captain across franchises. He led Delhi Capitals to the IPL 2020 final, guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in 2024, and took Punjab Kings to the final in the 2025 season. And now in 2026, PBKS look set to finish in the final four.
Speaking on JioStar, Suresh Raina praised Shreyas Iyer as a fearless and impactful captain who brings a distinct style to every team he represents. He highlighted Iyer's strong communication, ability to back his players and confident body language.
Raina likened Iyer's qualities to former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin and said his balance of composure with bold decision-making inspires confidence and promotes an aggressive approach from the team.
"Wherever he has gone, whichever franchise he has played for, he has brought a different brand of cricket. He has been fearless as a captain and has led from the front. Be it Delhi, KKR or even Punjab, they played the final last year after a gap of 11 years. You can see why he is a good Captain, because the communication off the field seems to be brilliant," said Raina.
"He backs his players, and when you see him walk around with that swag, his body language reminds me of Azhar bhai. When Mohammad Azharuddin used to be the Captain, the players around him had a different level of confidence. Everyone has a different style of leadership, and with Shreyas, you get both composure and bold decision-making. When Punjab bat, you see them going all-out attack, and similarly with the bowling as well," he added.
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