Shreyas Iyer jumps at reporter ahead of England T20Is after embarrassing loss in Ireland?

Has Shreyas Iyer started to lose his cool after just a week as the Indian captain? Cricket fans on social media certainly seem to think so ahead of the team’s five-match T20I series against England.

India suffered a humiliating loss against Ireland in the two-match T20I series where they did not put up much of a fight. The team was also heavily criticized for not making a debut in the form of wonder man Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was called up to India for the first time after a sensational season in the Indian Premier League.

SHREYAS IYER CONFRONTS JOURNALISTS?

Ahead of India’s first match against England in Durham, Iyer was asked about the chatter on social media surrounding Sooryavanshi and whether it had distracted the captain, the coaching staff and the five games, with the team needing a strong response.

Iyer gave a terse reply to a question put to him by journalist Vimal Kumar, saying that he did not see any chatter on social media as he was not active on it.

“I haven’t seen it. Really, I don’t know. I don’t even follow the news, I don’t follow what’s happening on Instagram and social media. I haven’t heard anything,” Iyer replied to Vimal Kumar’s question.

Furthermore, the Indian skipper refused to address questions related to Vaibhav’s potential debut.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” Iyer said in the pre-match press conference.

“Our hands are tied now as to what we’re going to do. This is private. It’s something we discuss as a team. We can’t reveal our combination to the opponent.”

Vimal Kumar’s blunt answer to questions has drawn mixed reactions on social media. While many criticized Shreyas Iyer for his tone, others praised how forcefully he handled the question. The cricket account on X, ‘Rajiv1841’, criticized Vimal Kumar for asking “agenda-driven” questions and praised Shreyas Iyer for shutting down the journalist.

Rajiv’s post was followed by a flurry of reactions that led to Vimal Kumar being heavily trolled and a snippet of his question going viral.

Former cricketer Sreevats Goswami also reacted to the incident, defending Shreyas Iyer for his response at the press conference.

“….Social media doesn’t understand the culture of the team and what it takes to be at the top. While the media has the right to ask questions and look for stories and headlines, the fans have the right to voice their opinions, which is also called external noise,” Goswami said on X.

VIMAL KUMAR RESPONDS TO THE DISPUTE

After the incident went viral on social media on Tuesday, Vimal Kumar himself addressed the issue on his YouTube channel and defended Shreyas Iyer’s response. The journalist said there was nothing wrong with Iyer’s reply and that people trying to create sensation should shut up.

Those who were on cloud nine just because they conveniently chose a single question from a press conference to spew their hate.
now @Vimalwa he cleared the air himself and slapped you with the truth, what next?

Also @Rajiv1841 – has some special words for it pic.twitter.com/Tz9HPD5Jky— AkCricTalks (@AKCricTalks) June 30, 2026

As India prepares for the opening T20I against England, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will once again be in the limelight. If Shreyas Iyer’s India do not hand the 15-year-old his debut, the conversation will once again shift to whether it is right to have a generational talent in their squad and keep him out while the national team searches for the right combinations in the new T20 cycle after the T20 World Cup.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

01 Jul 2026 11:54 IST