“I made a prediction about him 10 years ago”

Former spinner Maninder Singh made a stunning claim, stating that he had predicted a decade ago that Shreyas Iyer would one day captain India across all formats. His remarks came after the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, where the Men in Blue completed a 3-0 clean sweep on Sunday, July 26. The triumph also marked India’s first series victory under Iyer’s leadership.

Speaking on the YouTube channel (@Vimalwa) for FANCODE, the 61-year-old said that Iyer always looked like a special player. He added that the Mumbai batter’s class convinced him that he was destined to captain India across all formats. Although that prediction did not fully materialise, Maninder noted that Iyer has now become India’s T20I captain and said he has high expectations from the 31-year-old. He said:

“He (Shreyas Iyer) is one cricketer about whom I made a prediction 10 years ago that he would one day captain India in every format. That was my assessment. Whenever I watched him play, I felt he had a different class altogether. He looked like a special kind of player.

“That’s why I believed he would go on to captain India across all formats. It didn’t happen, but that’s alright. He has still become India’s T20I captain. I have very high expectations from him, and I have always been one of his biggest well-wishers,” he added.

So far, Iyer has captained India in 10 T20Is, registering three wins and six losses, while one match ended in no result.

How has Shreyas Iyer fared for India across formats?

Shreyas Iyer made his India debut in a T20I against New Zealand in Delhi in 2017. Since then, he has featured in 61 T20Is, scoring 1,415 runs at an average of 32.15 and a strike rate of 138.04, including 10 half-centuries.

In the ODI format, Iyer has amassed 3,136 runs from 82 matches at an average of 45.44 and a strike rate of 97.84. His tally includes 24 fifties and five centuries. He has also represented India in 14 Tests, accumulating 811 runs at an average of 36.86, with five half-centuries and one hundred to his name.