Ricky Ponting backs Shreyas Iyer as India's T20 Captain after Suryakumar Yadav

Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting said Shreyas Iyer could lead India in T20 cricket. Ponting spoke about a future shift after India moves on from Suryakumar Yadav.

Ponting said Shreyas Iyer looked in top form and seemed more settled. The comments came as Punjab Kings fought to stay in the IPL play-off race.

Suryakumar recently captained India to a second World Cup title. However, Suryakumar’s form has dropped sharply over the past 12 months. Suryakumar has also struggled in parts of the ongoing Indian Premier League. Ponting said several players were in the frame for the next role, with Shreyas Iyer among them.

India T20 captain: Ponting backs Shreyas Iyer

"There are several contenders for the captaincy job post Surya, but hes Shreyas Iyer one of the main contenders as far as Im concerned. We saw at the start of the tournament just how good a T20 player he is and where hes at, both on and off the field right now, the Australian legend toldin an interview."

"Hes a much more mature player than hes probably ever been in his whole career. Hes completely on top of his game now, said the batting great."

The talk around Shreyas Iyer as India’s next T20 captain has grown in recent weeks. This has happened even though Shreyas Iyer is not in the national side. Punjab Kings’ strong early run added to that debate. The mood changed after the side then lost six matches in a row.

Even with that slump, Punjab Kings can still reach the play-offs. Ponting said the team had enough quality to recover. Punjab Kings faced a final league match against Lucknow Super Giants. Ponting described the fixture as must-win, with little room for error now.

"There are going to be times when you have your ups and downs as an individual and as a team. Im pretty sure hell bounce back in this last game that weve got. If he stands up and makes a big score, then have a good chance of winning the game, Ponting said."

Ponting also pointed to Shreyas Iyer’s record as a captain in the IPL. Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to the trophy. Shreyas Iyer then moved to Punjab Kings. In a first season with the franchise, Shreyas Iyer took the side to a first final in 11 years.

Ponting said it was odd to see Shreyas Iyer outside India’s T20 plans. Ponting added that strong IPL performances often influence selection debates. Ponting also said returns were not automatic in Indian cricket. Ponting said runs and the right method mattered for a recall.

"Whenver India selects a team, and Sheryas is not in it, Im always very surprised. On the back of this IPL, Im sure hes one name the selectors will talk about, not just to get back into the side, but also with the captaincy next to his name."

"The thing about Indian cricket is that you dont just walk back into teams. Youve got to put a lot of runs on the board and do it in a certain way. His season so far has been very impressive, and his captaincy has been excellent."

"Hes in that little sweet spot in his life and career where, if captaincy came his way, then I think hed make the most of it, said Ponting."

India T20 captain: Ponting on Punjab Kings off-field noise

Ponting said criticism about off-field incidents stayed outside the dressing room. Ponting said the group remained focused on winning matches. Ponting also blamed social media for turning small reports into bigger stories. Ponting said qualification would likely end much of the negativity around the team.

"There havent been any off-field things that Ive had to worry about as a coach. Weve managed everything the way we need to manage as a team."

"Theres so much social media out there that one little headline turns into a big story, but that doesnt affect us. We know what we need to do as players to win games of cricket, and we push on with that."

"...if we qualify, then all this negativity out there about us will go away, said Ponting."

Ponting said the squad’s travel plans followed a rough patch in Dharamsala. Punjab Kings lost three matches there in a row. The team then flew to Delhi for a couple of nights. Ponting said the group would travel to Lucknow on Wednesday night.

India T20 captain: Ponting asks Punjab Kings to reset mindset

Ponting said the players got a short break after the defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Ponting said the main message would come after reaching Lucknow. Ponting said the team needed to remember the first six or seven games. Ponting said fear of failure could not guide their approach.

"Its pretty simple for us. Weve got to get back to believing in just how good we are and remember the way we played in our first six or seven games of the season. We need to hold on to those thoughts and memories instead of fearing failure or worrying about not having success."

"At our best, weve been the most fearless team in the tournament. Weve been daring...Thats what Ill be talking about again and making sure we bring those things into the game against Lucknow on Sunday, he said."

Ponting said the early part of the season showed high-risk cricket done well. Ponting said the team broke several records in that stretch. Ponting also said the IPL remained tight because teams were closely matched. Ponting said small drops in performance could be costly over a long run.

"The first part was probably some of the best T20 cricket that Ive ever seen from any team that Ive been around. The team was breaking records left, right and centre, playing a really high-quality style of cricket."

"It was a high-impact, high-risk style, and it worked really well for us at the start. But as you know, in an IPL where all teams are very even, you cant afford to be off by even a couple of per cent in any aspect of the game. Over the last six games, weve probably just been a little off in most aspects of our game."

Ponting’s remarks linked Shreyas Iyer’s leadership form with India’s future T20 captaincy debate. Ponting also described how Punjab Kings handled criticism during a poor run. With a decisive league match ahead, Ponting said the focus stayed on returning to earlier standards. The team’s final result will determine whether the season continues into the play-offs.

With inputs from PTI