New Delhi, September 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India captain Shreyas Iyer believes his strong working relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir will help bring clarity, trust and an aggressive approach to the team as it prepares for Sunday’s T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Iyer and Gambhir have previously worked together at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where they guided the franchise to the Indian Premier League title in 2024 in their roles as captain and mentor respectively.
Reflecting on their relationship, Iyer said Gambhir’s aggressive mentality and ability to manage players individually would be important for India going forward.
“I feel that he has got a very aggressive mindset. He is someone who is always looking to win when he steps onto the field. He wants every individual to perform,” Iyer said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday.
“He builds a lot of trust and confidence amongst the team, and every player knows what their role and clarity is,” he added.
Iyer also praised Gambhir’s one-on-one approach to player management, saying it was essential to understand the different personalities within a squad.
“Both of us, Gauti bhai and I, have been in this scenario where we need to know the players and how they can deliver for the team. The more matches we win, the more we would be getting to know each other closely,” he said.
Having worked with Gambhir at KKR, Iyer added, “I definitely know how his mind works and how his approach is going to be.”
The partnership between the two did not have an ideal start, with India losing series in Ireland and England. Iyer later led the side to a 3-0 series win over Zimbabwe in July, when VVS Laxman, head of cricket at the Centre of Excellence, served as stand-in head coach.
Looking ahead to Afghanistan, Iyer said India would focus on the immediate challenge rather than looking too far ahead.
“We will go game by game. We don’t have to think too much about the future. We are thinking about the first game. We know that Afghanistan is a nice team, and our preparation has also been promising for the last couple of days,” he said.
Iyer acknowledged Afghanistan’s familiarity with Indian conditions, with several of their players having featured in the IPL, but said India’s preparations had been encouraging.
“Players are in great shape and mindset. So, we have to stay in the present and see to it that we deliver when the time comes,” he said.
Iyer is also looking forward to his first Asian Games appearance, where he will lead India’s defence of the gold medal.
“It is definitely an exciting time for me and also for the team because it is going to be my first time,” he said, noting that some members of the squad had participated in the previous Asian Games.
India’s opening match will be against Japan, which Iyer described as a historic occasion. He also expressed enthusiasm about interacting with athletes from hockey and other Olympic disciplines.
“Definitely would be a great interaction, and I would be eagerly waiting to go there and interact with them and know what their mindset is. Probably go to one of the games and cheer for them as well,” he said.
“So, yes, we are going as a whole nation and then definitely we want to see to it that we come back triumphant,” Iyer added.
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