Key is to be the same person as before, says Shreyas

Barely 24 hours after being handed the responsibility of leading India’s T20I side into a fresh World Cup cycle, Shreyas Iyer made one thing clear: captaincy will not alter who he is.

Shreyas, speaking at an event here on Sunday, insisted that the challenge of leading the side excites him but stressed that authenticity rather than reinvention would define his approach.

“Even when I have got this job right now, or responsibility as a captain, it’s a great challenge at the same time,” Shreyas said. “I don’t have to change my personality. I have to be the same person how I was before, and not try to be someone else or be under someone’s shadow.”

Shreyas’ elevation as captain perhaps completes one of Indian cricket’s more dramatic recent turnarounds. Eighteen months ago, he had fallen out of India’s T20I plans altogether. On Saturday, he returned not merely to the side but directly into captaincy role after replacing Suryakumar Yadav at the helm.

For Shreyas, however, the foundations of leadership were built much earlier — in Mumbai cricket’s famously unforgiving ecosystem.

“I obviously loved challenges growing up, especially being from Mumbai, where the cricket is pretty big, competition is high,” he said. “Every other kid on the street wants to represent Mumbai. My mindset was always about winning, against everyone that I challenged.”

Shreyas suggested that the competitive culture shaped not only his cricketing journey but also his appetite for responsibility.

“Learning or winning is secondary, but (its about having) more fun growing up. The more competitive nature you have, especially while you play cricket or any other sport in general, the better it is,” he said. “I think that takes you to another level and you want to take that sort of responsibility”.