Shreyas Iyer Draws Azharuddin Comparison From Raina Before SRH Match
shreyas iyer drew a fresh public endorsement on January 31, with Suresh Raina praising his fearless captaincy of Punjab Kings before their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad. Raina linked Iyer’s body language to Mohammad Azharuddin and said the PBKS skipper has brought a different brand of cricket wherever he has gone.
Raina said Iyer has led from the front, backs his players and shows strong communication away from the field. He also said that when Punjab bat, they go all-out attack, and the same applies to the bowling.
Raina on Iyer’s swagger
“Wherever he has gone, whichever franchise he has played for, he has brought a different brand of cricket. He has been fearless as a captain and has led from the front. Be it Delhi, KKR or even Punjab, they played the final last year after a gap of 11 years. You can see why he is a good Captain, because the communication off the field seems to be brilliant,” Raina said.
He went further in comparing the PBKS captain’s presence to Azharuddin. “He backs his players, and when you see him walk around with that swag, his body language reminds me of Azhar bhai. When Mohammad Azharuddin used to be the Captain, the players around him had a different level of confidence. Everyone has a different style of leadership, and with Shreyas, you get both composure and bold decision-making. When Punjab bat, you see them going all-out attack, and similarly with the bowling as well,” he said.
Punjab Kings’ IPL 2026 record
The endorsement landed against a strong statistical backdrop. Punjab Kings had won six of their nine matches under Iyer’s leadership, lost two, and had one no-result in the IPL 2026 season. Those numbers leave the side in position to finish in the top four, with Iyer already combining results and a clean individual return of 328 runs in eight innings at an average of 54.67.
That output fits with the wider record he has built as a captain. Iyer led Delhi Capitals to the IPL 2020 final, guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2024 title and took Punjab Kings to the 2025 final. For PBKS, the immediate takeaway is simple: the captaincy has already delivered wins, and the public praise from a former India cricketer only adds to the pressure on opponents facing a side that has shown both aggression and control under Iyer.
