Former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan has opined that Shreyas Iyer, the Indian ODI vice-captain, would surely regret not being part of the Indian side on both of their T20 World Cup wins in 2024 and 2026, despite being a vital part of the Indian batting unit.
India won back-to-back titles in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and 2026, and several players, like skipper Suryakumar Yadav, all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube, and bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah, were all part of the title wins on both occasions. Players like Mohammad Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav got lucky to be part of the two campaigns without much of a role in 2026.
However, some deserving players would have been disappointed not to be part of the competition, especially players who have been playing for a long time and have had an impact on Indian cricket. One such player is India’s ODI vice-captain, Shreyas Iyer.
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Shreyas Iyer will regret not being a part of India’s ICC T20 World Cup squad-Irfan Pathan
Former Indian player Irfan Pathan has opined that Shreyas Iyer would regret not being part of the Men in Blue’s T20 World Cup 2026 winning squad. However, he has backed the PBKS skipper to continue his sheer form and lead his franchise to their first-ever title.
“He will definitely have the regret of not being part of the Indian T20 team because I feel this guy has that ability, and this Indian team has that place as well to play in the middle. He will be thinking about that for sure, but Shreyas Iyer will perform the same way he has been performing for so many years,” he said.
Undoubtedly, Shreyas has often been picked as the player who could come in handy in India’s T20I middle order. Iyer could add stability to the Indian batting order, and he has shown in the IPL that he can be explosive at times of need.
Pathan backs Shreyas Iyer to outplay pace in IPL 2026
Shreyas Iyer was last seen in the T20I team for India back in the 5-match series against New Zealand at home before the start of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He had replaced an injured Tilak Varma in the Indian squad, but did not play a single match. His last T20I appearance for India came back in December 2023 against Australia.
The former Indian pacer then added that after having missed out on their maiden title to RCB in 2025, Shreyas Iyer would once again want to lead his team with perfection in this season and showcase his improved ability against pacers. Shreyas had scored 604 runs in the competition at a strike rate of 175.07 with 6 half-centuries.
“He is a proven cricketer. He is a very important part of the core in ODI cricket. However, he has captained incredibly in T20 cricket and has performed tremendously well. He has a fantastic ability against spin. He will intend to take further forward the improved batting he has shown against fast bowling,” Pathan observed.
Will Cooper Connolly emerge as PBKS’ new spin-bowling all-rounder? – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan was also asked whether Punjab Kings would consider having Cooper Connolly in their playing XI for IPL 2026. PBKS would need a spin-bowling all-rounder after Glenn Maxwell’s release from the squad.
“They will think about him for sure, considering the conditions. However, they will also have to keep in mind how Cooper Connolly played the World Cup in these conditions. The matches were in Sri Lanka, and you were expecting good performances, but the performance wasn’t that good,” he responded.
However, he pointed out that he can bowl left-arm spin and can bat as well down the order. The pitches are different in the BBL, where he performed tremendously well, and that too, not for one but two years. However, he also pointed out that the challenge will be very different here in India.
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