Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan said Shreyas Iyer will definitely have the regret of not being part of India’s T20I team. India lifted their third T20 World Cup title after beating New Zealand by 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Iyer wasn’t part of the World Cup’s planning despite his impressive white-ball record. The Mumbai batter was added to India’s T20I team for the first three games against New Zealand after Tilak Varma was ruled out with an injury.
However, Iyer was not named in the T20 World Cup squad. Iyer scored 604 runs in 17 matches of IPL 2025 at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07 while leading the Punjab Kings.
“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,” Pathan said on Star Sports.
Pathan said Iyer would look to continue his rich form against the fast bowlers in IPL 2026.
“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 fantastic ability against spin. He will intend to take further forward the improved batting he has shown against fast bowling,” Pathan observed.
On the other hand, Pathan believes Punjab Kings will definitely think about including Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly in their playing XI.
“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.
The former swing bowler said the Indian conditions will pose a different challenge for Connolly in IPL 2026.
“However, you still have that option as he can bowl left-arm spin and bat as well. The pitches are different in the Big Bash League. He has performed tremendously well there, and not just for one, but for two years. He has emerged as the best player. However, the challenge will be different here,” Pathan observed.
The IPL 2026 season is scheduled to begin on March 28, with the final expected on May 31.
