Laxman hails Iyer’s leadership at Asian Games

New Delhi India head coach for the Asian Games, VVS Laxman, has praised skipper Shreyas Iyer for his leadership during the team’s successful campaign at the 2026 Asian Games, describing him as a “player’s captain” who makes teammates comfortable and leads by example. India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s cricket final at Korogi Sports Park to retain the Asian Games gold medal. Abhishek Sharma’s 61 off 28 balls and Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 51 off 22 helped India post 211 for six. Pakistan responded strongly through Hasan Nawaz’s 96 off 51 balls but finished on 192 for six. Laxman said praised the skipper’s preparation, tactical awareness and understanding of individual players. According to Laxman, Iyer studies the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses before team meetings and places strong emphasis on fitness. “He is a player’s captain,” Laxman said, adding that Iyer leads both with the bat and on the field. He also described the 31-year-old as tactically sharp and capable of staying ahead of opponents in the fast-paced T20 format. Laxman identified India’s adaptability as another major factor behind their success. The team faced difficult weather, travel problems and limited practice opportunities after arriving in Japan. Despite these challenges, the players maintained their fitness and prepared whenever training opportunities were available. He also praised the organisers for successfully conducting the knockout matches despite heavy rain. Laxman said the tournament highlighted India’s growing depth and the effectiveness of its player development programmes. The former India batter said the combined efforts of the selection committee, team management, Centre of Excellence and BCCI were helping nurture future talent. He added that India had a strong pool of players capable of contributing over the next five to 10 years.