Mumbai, June 9 (IANS) As he gets ready to lead SoBo Mumbai Falcons into the semifinals of the T20 Mumbai League, Shreyas Iyer is enjoying captaining a squad and says it brings in a lot of maturity and responsibility.

The star batter of the Indian white-ball team, Iyer is enjoying a golden run as captain, having guided Punjab Kings to a runners-up finish in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. His leadership has been instrumental in guiding the team to the last-four stage, making them one of the strong contenders for the coveted title.

The 30-year-old dashing batsman has been exceptional on the field, balancing a squad mix of youth and experience. Under his captaincy, the Falcons secured their semifinal spot with an impressive record of four wins out of five league-stage matches.

“It (captaincy) brings in a lot of maturity and responsibility. You are always expected to perform and contribute in the best way possible for the team because whenever there is a hurdle or some kind of adversity you face as a team, they always come to the captain. I think I have got a lot of experience as I have been captaining since I was 22. I have enjoyed the moments and also embraced it. I love the fact to come out and lead,” Iyer told the T20 Mumbai League in an interview.

Talking about handling high-pressure moments, he further added: “I just try to get into my zone and I try to do things which are there in front of me. I try to stay focused as much as possible, just to stay in the present, embrace the situation, embrace the crowd because sometimes they get very electrifying and pass on the energy to you. So I keep telling myself that I want the crowd to cheer my name, and that brings that kind of motivation.”

Iyer is among the top international stars featured in one of India’s leading domestic franchise-based T20 tournaments, alongside players like Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube.

The right-handed batter also shared his views on the role of the T20 Mumbai League in nurturing young cricketers and preparing them for future challenges, highlighting its positive impact on their development.

“The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has put in great efforts to bring this league and identify the talents who have been consistently performing in the grassroots of Mumbai. This gives them a great platform to come and express themselves and also to thrive beyond club cricket,” he said.

From a boy who began chasing his dreams at Shivaji Park to becoming a match-winner for India, Iyer’s journey has been truly inspiring.

Reflecting on the experience of sharing a dressing room with familiar faces in the league, he shared: “There are familiar faces in the dressing room, I have played with a few of them in club cricket and also in my school and college teams. I am glad to be back and play with my teammates here.”

The semifinals and final will be played at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday and Thursday respectively.

The first semifinal, at 2.30 PM, will feature an exciting contest between Eagle Thane Strikers and Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals whereas Sobo Mumbai Falcons will be up against Bandra Blasters in the second semi-final at 7.30 PM.

Fans can look forward to thrilling performances from international star Iyer and some of Mumbai’s rising talents, including Atharva Ankolekar, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, and Harsh Aghav. The tournament is being telecast on Star Sports 1 (English & Hindi), Star Sports 2 (English) and JioHotstar.

This season has featured several outstanding individual performances.

Suved Parkar from Bandra Blasters leads the run charts and currently holds the Orange Cap, with a standout knock of 76 off 37 balls during a record 118-run opening stand alongside Vikrant Auti. Shashank Attarde from Eagle Thane Strikers holds the Purple Cap for his consistent wicket-taking spells. Iyer has anchored the SoBo Mumbai Falcons with experience and composure while Sairaj Patil of Eagle Thane Strikers has turned heads with his explosive stroke play.

Other consistent performers include Suryakumar Yadav, Siddhant Adhatrao from Triumph Knights Mumbai North East, as well as Siddhesh Lad and Chinmay Sutar from Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals — all of whom contributed crucial half-centuries in the league stage.

–IANS

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