Shreyas Iyer has led Punjab Kings to a sensational start in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), with the team remaining unbeaten in their first seven matches. With six wins and one no result, Iyer has scripted history, becoming the first captain in IPL history to go undefeated in the opening seven games of a season. His composed leadership and tactical clarity have played a key role in Punjab’s dominance so far.
His captaincy has drawn strong praise from former India stars Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan. Speaking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag didn’t hold back in his assessment and awarded Iyer a perfect 10 out of 10 for his leadership.
Zaheer, however, offered a more balanced perspective and rated Rajat Patidar’s captaincy at Royal Challengers Bengaluru slightly higher. “The strict teacher has given full marks, but the more generous one hasn’t,” Zaheer Kahn said jokingly, referring to Sehwag’s rare full rating.
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Sehwag responded in his trademark witty style, suggesting that Zaheer might have “cut 1.5 marks” because of Iyer’s loss in last season’s IPL final. Zaheer Khan also highlighted the leadership of Ishan Kishan, who has stepped up for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the absence of Pat Cummins. Kishan led the side in their first seven matches, registering five wins and two losses while gradually evolving as a captain.
“When he took over captaincy at the start of the season, he was following Cummins’ leadership template,” Zaheer Khan explained. “After a few games, he came up with his own template and somehow convinced the management to make some changes.”
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“They roped in the likes of Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge into the XI. The change in philosophy was clearly reflected with the team on a winning run,” he added.
At this stage of IPL 2026, Punjab Kings sit comfortably at the top of the points table with 13 points out of 14. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals follow closely with 10 points each, with RCB edging ahead on net run rate.
