Ness Wadia: I knew Shreyas Iyer would captain India

Over 19 IPL seasons, Punjab Kings have had 17 captains, but Ness Wadia appears to hold a special regard for the current one. "I'm sure Shreyas Iyer will make all of us proud," the franchise co-owner tells Cricbuzz in an interview, reflecting on the qualities of India's new T20I captain and on a season in which Punjab Kings' campaign dramatically declined after looking virtually unstoppable. Excerpts

Your captain is now India's captain.

I think it's the first time. I'm so proud of him and it's very well deserved. I'm just so happy for his family. I've only had the privilege of knowing him for a year and a half. He's a wonderful person. I'm sure that Shreyas will lead India with distinction. There's no bigger honour than leading your country. I'm sure he'll make India very proud.

Did you expect it to happen?

Our first meeting was brief, at my house for about an hour before the Dharamshala camp last year, ahead of IPL 2025. Within 15 minutes I turned around to him and said, 'You know, you're going to be India captain one day.' And I said, 'When you become captain, remember who told you.' He looked surprised and smiled. He said, 'No, no, no.'

What made you tell him so?

Because he's a really good human being – simple, grounded, stays within himself. And then, when he comes onto the field, he becomes this wonderful leader. He's got a fantastic cricketing brain. He's a fantastic leader.

What sets him apart from the others?

His style is very soft and gentle. He's not pushy. He carries everyone along with him. He listens to his players and understands their strengths. He won't overburden players when they're under pressure. If they make mistakes, he's not going to make a big issue out of it. He's very balanced as a leader and leads from the front. He leads by example.

He was the second-costliest player in IPL history (Rs 26.75 crore), but seemingly did not allow the weight of the price tag to affect his performance.

Absolutely not. He knows that he deserves what he gets. The price tag reflects that. He is one of the leading Indian players and was definitely captaincy material, as we knew before the auction. He's a very special person, a very special player, and a unique leader.

Punjab Kings have had so many captains over the years. Where do you place Shreyas Iyer among them?

Each captain has been a very interesting learning experience for all of us. But one thing I can say is that it's not only about the captain. It's about the coaching staff, the whole environment. Until 2025, I think we had continuously finished in the bottom half. We really had to think about bringing in a strong coach, and we've done that with Ricky (Ponting). Then we wanted a world-class captain, and we wanted an Indian captain. It's amazing what they've achieved – finishing top of the league in the first year and then finishing fifth in the second year.

Now that you've touched upon the season, what do you think went wrong?

If you compare the results with what they were before 2025, it's a big difference. Luck plays its part. It's a young team and they're still learning. Sometimes, when you win so many matches, you can get overconfident. And then you forget to go back to basics. The standard of competition is the highest in the IPL. I think we failed to adjust and adapt, and unfortunately ended up setting another record for losing so many matches. But it's a young team. Those learnings will make them stronger, better and wiser.

In the first half, you were virtually unbeatable; in the second, it was totally opposite. What causes such a dramatic decline?

Our bowling was frankly not up to the mark. Our batting was covering up for that. If you're going to win games and finish at the top, you need to tick all the boxes – batting, bowling, fielding – and stay focused on the basics. The bowling was below par, and that began to unravel when the batting didn't perform as well. The middle order maybe didn't get enough opportunities earlier and could have done more.

There is a lot of debate over Impact Player. Are you for or against it?

I am against the Impact Player rule. I think it's a good concept, but it removes some of the competitiveness from the game. That's my personal view. But if you're going to have one Impact Player and make the game more exciting, then make it two Impact Players. That would make it even more interesting. Then the coaches have to think more. The captain has to think more. With one Impact Player, you generally have an idea. It's either going to be a batter or a bowler.