Iyer has been reinstated into the T20I lineup after a lengthy absence, with his recall coming after Tilak Varma suffered an injury in domestic cricket. Iyer last played in a T20I in December 2023 during the home series against Australia, playing in the second half of the rubber after a stellar ODI World Cup campaign. Rahane listed three aspects he would particularly like to see during the New Zealand series, highlighting Iyer’s comeback among other key batting positions.
“The three things that stand out to me ahead of this series are Surya’s batting. He has been out of form and I am looking forward to Suryakumar Yadav getting into form just before the World Cup. Then it is Sanju Samson, I am very excited to see him back and open the batting with Abhishek Sharma. Then there is also the return of Shreyas Iyer. He has done well in the IPL in the last few seasons,” said Ajinkya. said Rahane on Cricbuzz.
The right-handed batsman was also overlooked for the 2024 T20 World Cup despite leading Kolkata Knight Riders to the Indian Premier League title that year. His wait continued even after a standout IPL 2025 campaign where he enjoyed his best ever season, scoring 604 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07 for Punjab Kings.
Iyer finished as the sixth highest run-scorer and hit the most sixes by an Indian batsman during the 2025 season of the cash-rich tournament, while also leading the Punjab-based franchise to the grand final. The right-hander returned to competitive cricket after returning from a rib injury sustained during the tour of Australia.
SKY puts too much pressure on itself, Rahane thinks
Meanwhile, the former India captain also expressed concerns over the form of current T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the shortest format of the game. Despite India’s overall strong performance in the format ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the Indian captain has endured a difficult 2025, conceding just 218 runs in 21 matches at an average of 13.63 and a strike rate of 123.16.
“For Surya’s ability, those numbers are quite low. I think he puts too much pressure on himself as a batsman and tries to do too many things. His attitude and intensity on the field have been fantastic. If he bats for a long period, he will do well, and if Surya does well, India will do very well,” Rahane added.
Despite his recent struggles, Suryakumar Yadav has a strong record against New Zealand in T20Is, scoring 284 runs in eight matches at an average of 47.33, including a century at Mount Maunganui in 2022. India and New Zealand will face each other in Nagpur on January 21.
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