‘He brings those leadership skills…’: Star England cricketer feels leadership qualities are holding back Shreyas Iyer’s T20I comeback

Former England spinner Monty Panesar, gave a bold take, on Shreyas Iyer missing out on T20I selection due to his leadership qualities. He also backed Jasprit Bumrah’s place in the Asia Cup squad.

New Delhi: Shreyas Iyer who has been in a excellent form, was not picked in the Asia Cup squad, despite his T20 career has flourished since 2024, when he led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL crown. He carried that form into 2025, taking Punjab Kings to only their second final in 11 years. Despite these achievements, his efforts were still not enough to earn a spot to the national team.

Panesar feels Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy qualities are holding back his comeback

“One of the reasons Shreyas Iyer is probably struggling to get into the Indian squad is because he brings those leadership skills and, at the moment, possibly they’ve got that covered. It gives them an opportunity to bring in someone younger, a bit more exciting to play, who would be easier to manage for coach Gautam Gambhir,” Panesar told IndiaToday.in.

Iyer had an impressive IPL season in 2025, as he scored 604 runs in 17 matches at an impressive strike rate of 175. The middle-order batter reshaped his style of play, leading Punjab Kings’ aggressive brand of cricket. He prioritized the team’s goals over personal milestones, taking risks while still managing to balance them with consistency and success.

Since the time India adopted a fearless brand of T20I cricket under former skipper Rohit Sharma and former head coach Rahul Dravid, the focus has shifted towards batters who are ready to play with freedom and without fear of failure.

Still, Shreyas Iyer has been left out, even though he has embraced that very approach in his game.

“So I think he being the captain in IPL, makes it a bit difficult for him to get into that team. But I do believe, if he keeps scoring runs, he should be playing. But it’s just the talent, the talent is unbelievable. I think India has never been so blessed and lucky that they can pull out probably 2 to 3 teams right now and compete against the world,” Panesar added.

Monty Panesar also backed Bumrah’s place in Asia Cup squad

Panesar, a key figure in England’s famous 2012 series win in India, also touched upon another major talking point Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management. The former left-arm spinner said that Bumrah will be more crucial for India in T20Is than in Tests or ODIs as the team gears up for next year’s T20 World Cup.

After more than 14 months, Jasprit Bumrah makes his T20I comeback. He had a memorable campaign the last time he played in the shortest format, winning Player of the Tournament during India’s successful run in the T20 World Cup in 2024.

Bumrah picked 15 wickets in eight games at an average of 8.26 and an surprising economy rate of 4.17, the best in any single edition of the tournament. Bumrah who is world’s top-ranked Test bowler once again proved why he is regarded as the best in the T20 format.

However, Bumrah has faced criticism regarding his workload management, as he was rested for two of the five Tests in the recent series against England. Although he grabbed 14 wickets in the three matches he featured in, the numbers were seen as modest compared to his usually high standards.

“He has an unorthodox action, so I think the difficulty for him is if he’s playing back-to-back test matches, it’ll probably take a lot of strain on his body than someone who has a traditional bowling action. So, he probably needs that break, but also, I think T20 is his strongest format. So I think India probably needs him fit and ready for the World Cup, for the Asia Cup. So I think he’s more of a valuable asset in the T20 format than the other formats,” Panesar said.

Panesar selected India as his favorite to win the Asia Cup 2025

Given the team’s balance, Panesar selected India as his clear favorite to win the Asia Cup 2025, which is schedule to begin on September 9.

“India are firm favourites to win it. They seem like the strongest team. They’ve got the strongest squad. Obviously, their batting and bowling departments look very strong. The spin department looks excellent as well,” said former left-arm spinner.

Story Highlights

1. Shreyas Iyer who has been in a excellent form, was not picked in the Asia Cup squad, despite his impressive IPL 2025.
2. Former England cricketer Monty Panesar believes Shreyas Iyer’s leadership qualities are holding back his comeback in the T20I squad
3. Iyer had an impressive IPL season in 2025, as he scored 604 runs in 17 matches at an impressive strike rate of 175.
4.  Panesar said that Bumrah will be more crucial for India in T20Is than in Tests or ODIs as the team gears up for next year’s T20 World Cup.