Shreyas Iyer, in unfortunate circumstances, injured the index finger of his hand while practising for the game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur. During the match, Iyer did bat but not at his usual number. The right hand batter came further down, looked down and out, and didn't have the captain's armband too while his side took the field in the second innings. Instead, he was substituted, and Shashank Singh led the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in his absence. However, there has been no confirmation yet from any source, neither him nor the franchise, about his availability in the games ahead. With PBKS affirming their playoff spot last night, and yet having a couple of matches more to play in the league, they must be prepared for all the eventualities. 

The North Indian franchise's regular skipper became the first player in the history of the tournament to make three teams qualify for the playoffs as captain. He first accomplished this feat as the leader of the Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2019 and 2020. Moreover, in 2020, he took them to the finals, only to get beaten by the Mumbai Indians (MI). Second, he led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title glory last year, and now this season with PBKS, he, as their captain, has made them qualify for the playoffs after 11 years, and the first time since 2014. PBKS, then known as Kings XI Punjab, had lost in the final to KKR. 

Different jerseys, same leadership DNA 🧬🫡

Will this be the season Shreyas Iyer takes PBKS all the way? 🤔#TATAIPL | @PunjabKingsIPL | @ShreyasIyer15 pic.twitter.com/poIirhscGM

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 19, 2025

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In a worst-case scenario, if PBKS are forced to explore captaincy options due to the possibility of Shreyas' unavailability, then there can be a few candidates for the prestigious role. A deeper look into that might help understand which players can lead the franchise. Add to it the magnitude of the upcoming games, and it would be a serious headache for the team management if it goes that route. 

Shashank Singh 

Having been made the stand-in skipper, in Iyer's absence, against RR, he seems to have the full trust of the head coach, Ricky Ponting, and his backroom staff. Although he was guided by Shreyas and the coach while defending their total, but if left alone, he will feel confident of leading the side in this extremely vital business stage of the tournament. When batting, lower down the order for the Kings, aiming to finish well, he plays maturely and responsibly, and this character might aid him if asked to don the captaincy hat. 

Prabhsimran Singh

Although he has never captained any team, in any format and on any level, now being the first-choice wicketkeeper of the team in Josh Inglis' absence, he can be thrown into the skipper duties. From behind the stumps, he has a bird's eye view of the game and sees the action unfold in front of him.  This game sense can help him while making all the bowling changes and setting the field accordingly. 

Arshdeep Singh

The leader of the bowling attack for the team, he is always seen giving his valuable inputs towards making things happen. He is progressive on the field and would relish if made the captain. Being already in the think tank, he will have an added advantage and would feel strategically confident enough to lead his side in case the regular skipper cannot. 

PBKS would hope that Shreyas Iyer recovers in time for their upcoming games and is deemed fit enough to not only lead but also contribute massively with the bat, as he is known for and has done positively for the team. Taking a player of his calibre out of any side would create a huge hole in their chances to progress and put a stake forward for winning the silverware.