- “It’s a big achievement” – Pujara sheds light on the impact of New Zealand’s series win on Iyer’s title hunt. Cheteshwar Pujara and Abhishek Nayar both spoke about what a series win in New Zealand could mean for Shreyas Iyer’s development as India’s T20I ctain.
- Shreyas Iyer (Source: Seb Daly/Sportsfile via ) Shreyas Iyer is expected to lead India in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand starting on October 22, 2026 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
- Ahead of the series, former India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara spoke about the importance that a series win in New Zealand would have on Iyer’s development as a club.
“It’s a big achievement” – Pujara sheds light on the impact of New Zealand’s series win on Iyer’s title hunt. Cheteshwar Pujara and Abhishek Nayar both spoke about what a series win in New Zealand could mean for Shreyas Iyer’s development as India’s T20I ctain.
Shreyas Iyer (Source: Seb Daly/Sportsfile via ) Shreyas Iyer is expected to lead India in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand starting on October 22, 2026 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Ahead of the series, former India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara spoke about the importance that a series win in New Zealand would have on Iyer’s development as a club. Pujara made it clear that performing well in foreign conditions carries different weight for each Indian group or player.
“If you go to New Zealand and beat the New Zealand team, that’s a big achievement. Performing well in foreign conditions for the Indian team in any format, be it ODI, T20I or a Test match will boost your confidence. When you do well there as a group or as a team, your confidence goes up and you can perform well not just in Indian conditions but anywhere in the world,” Pujara said on JioStar.
Iyer is currently the T20I ctain for India and also vice-president for ODIs. As announced on October 19, 2026, he was also named ctain of the fourth and fifth ODIs of the New Zealand series. What is Iyer’s safety record ahead of the New Zealand series?
Before the New Zealand T20I series, Iyer had beaten India in 21 T20I matches, registering 11 wins, 8 losses and 2 no results, giving him a win rate of 52.38 percent. His tenure began with defeats against Ireland and England, but he then led India to convincing 3-0 victories over Zimbabwe and Afghanistan and also led the team to a gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games. India’s most recent T20I pearance before this tour was a home series against the West Indies which ended in a 2-2 draw.
On 6 October 2026, the same day the squad for the New Zealand tour was announced, Iyer scored his first T20I century, an unbeaten 101 against the West Indies, highlighting his pre-series form. The New Zealand tour therefore represents one of the most demanding foreign assignments in Iyer’s career to date, after the previous England tour. How does Abhishek Nayar consider the comparison between Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav a coincidence?
Former India batting coach Abhishek Nayar addressed the debate over comparing Iyer’s position with that of Suryakumar Yadav, pointing out that the context of both teams’ tenures was different. Nayar noted that during Suryakumar’s tenure, India played a large number of T20Is at home or in sub-continental conditions, while Iyer’s tenure included more away pearances, including tours to England, Zimbabwe, January and now New Zealand. “It is not a matter of whether he is worthy or not compared to Surya because at that time India played a lot of series in India.
They didn’t travel a lot. After Shreyas Iyer became ctain, they moved to England and now New Zealand. Therefore, many T20Is were played away, in Zimbabwe and in January.
I remember before the T20 World Cup we played a lot more at home and in sub-continental conditions than away. This comparison is therefore irrelevant. Any time you go to New Zealand and win in foreign conditions, I think Ctain will feel like he is in control of the team and will gain the respect of everyone around him because that is where you will be judged the most.
So when you win, as they say, it’s a star on your chest to go to New Zealand and win the series. It didn’t hpen in England, but it hpened here if it hpened. So for him personally it will be one of those things that as a group I can win abroad too,” Nayar said on JioStar.
Pujara and Nayar’s comments underline the broader idea that success abroad, particularly in a country like New Zealand, goes a long way to strengthening a group’s position within the team and beyond.
