‘He will be fighting this captaincy battle with….’ Former India player predicts Iyer-Gill captaincy battle amid Gambhir’s reported backing

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia recently brushed aside speculations linking Shreyas Iyer as Rohit Sharma’s successor in ODI cricket. Despite this, Iyer’s name has surfaced again in discussions about India’s future captaincy.

Former cricketer Manoj Tiwary openly supported Iyer as a strong candidate to lead the national side. He highlighted Iyer’s temperament, experience, and leadership qualities as factors that could make him a suitable choice to take on the responsibility once Rohit steps down.

However, Tiwary also hinted at competition for the role. He pointed out that Shubman Gill could be in contention, particularly because of his growing stature and the support he reportedly enjoys from head coach Gautam Gambhir. This could create an interesting battle between the two talented players, with the final decision likely influenced by both performance and long-term planning for India’s white-ball future.

See Also: WATCH: Rajasthan Royals shares video of Sanju Samson's unreal 13 runs in 1 ball

Manoj Tiwary Talks About Intense Competition for ODI Captaincy Role:

Shreyas Iyer has often remained an overlooked candidate for India’s white-ball captaincy, despite showing leadership qualities early in his career. Since 2018, he has consistently led Mumbai in domestic tournaments such as the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. He also gained valuable experience captaining India A under Rahul Dravid’s guidance.

His reputation grew further with his success in the Indian Premier League. Shreyas achieved a rare feat by steering three different teams to IPL finals in successive seasons, winning the 2024 title with Kolkata Knight Riders and reaching the 2025 final with Punjab Kings, after earlier guiding Delhi Capitals in 2020.

This rare three-peat made him the only skipper to achieve such a record. However, beyond statistics, what impressed Manoj Tiwary the most was Iyer’s calm approach, tactical mindset, and the ability to bring out the best in his team.

In an interaction with Crictracker, Manoj Tiwary said, “ After Rohit Sharma, obviously, I would say Shreyas Iyer, because the way he has led, wherever he has led in franchise cricket, I have not seen him in first-class cricket, but he has also won a trophy for Mumbai in domestic cricket as well.”

He further said, “ But when I was doing commentary, I observed the evolution of Shreyas Iyer as a captain. He is one of those who lead from the front, he scores a lot of runs, and he makes great decisions on the field, which is a must for a good captain. He has done that successfully, as we saw during his KKR tenure.”

Tiwary Also Suggests Shreyas Deserves Recognition for Winning IPL Title for KKR:

The ex-India cricketer stated that Shreyas Iyer deserved greater recognition for guiding KKR to the IPL title. However, he felt the credit was shifted towards Gautam Gambhir, who was serving only as a mentor that season. According to him, strong PR influence played a role in shaping this narrative. Interestingly, that was Gambhir’s lone year with KKR before he became India’s head coach two months later.

He stated, “ In 2024, KKR emerged as champions under his captaincy, but he didn’t get the credit he deserved. The PR machinery worked in such a way that the credit was given to only one individual in the team. I felt he should also have got recognition, along with Chandrakant Pandit and Bharat Arun. They were the supporting staff, while he was the leader making the calls on the field.”

Manoj Tiwary’s Opinion on India’s Future Leadership:

Speaking about Team India’s future leadership, Tiwary suggested that Shreyas Iyer has the qualities to captain the side for an extended period. However, he also noted that Iyer may encounter strong competition from Shubman Gill, who is highly regarded and enjoys the support of head coach Gautam Gambhir, making the captaincy race an intriguing one.

He concluded, “ I feel Shreyas Iyer will eventually lead Team India, and he will lead for a long period of time. But at the same time, he will be fighting this captaincy battle with Shubman Gill because the current coach, Gautam Gambhir, likes Shubman Gill more than Shreyas Iyer. So there will be a fight. But let’s see what the future unfolds for all of us.”