Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has backed Shreyas Iyer to be the next Indian captain after leading Kolkata Knight Riders to lift the IPL 2024 title with a victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. This season, Iyer led KKR with a calm demeanor and sharp intuition. He managed his resources well and made good use of his bowlers in a critical scenario, and Gautam Gambhir’s guidance helped him thrive in the leadership role.

Uthappa claimed that with the IPL victory, Iyer has risen to the top of the list of candidates for the next India captain, surpassing teenage batting star Shubman Gill. I am going to say it here. He is going to be the future India captain. I think he is next in line, maybe even ahead of Shubman Gill. He has got the character and wherewithal to handle a team, the former KKR player told JioCinema.

I think there’s a lot he has learned this season. You must understand that he was working with Gambhir, Chandrakant Pandit, and Abhishek Nayar, three very strong personalities. You have to navigate your way through these strong personalities throughout the season while having your way and learning on the run. That’s not easy to navigate through an entire IPL season while performing, giving your best, and making the right calls, Uthappa added.

He has done that with utter dominance. That tells you a lot about his character and what he believes he is capable of. I think because of that, he sets himself up in the right space to be in the conversation for the next Indian captain, Uthappa concluded.