‘It will be cruel to say…’: Former India battle for Shreyas Iyer’s future as T20I captain

Shreyas Iyer and Ryan Ten Doeschate (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: Shreyas Iyer’s start as India’s T20I captain was far from ideal. After a surprising 2-0 series defeat against Ireland, India were beaten 4-0 by England in the five-match T20I series. The latest setback came on Saturday when India lost the fifth and final T20I by 56 runs at The Rose Bowl in Southampton.The defeat also cost India the No. 1 spot in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings, with England moving to the top spot. India have now lost six consecutive T20Is under Iyer. Despite the poor results, former India cricketer Abhishek Nayar believes it is too early to question Iyer’s future as captain.

“Give him the freedom to build his own team”

Nayar said the new captain should be given enough time and freedom to mold the team according to his own plans.“When you patronize someone to take over from a champion side, you also want to give them the freedom to choose their side. When you first become captain, you don’t get the freedom to say, ‘I want to take over the team here.’ You take the team first and then see what you have to do with it,” Nayar told JioHotstar.He feels the defeats against Ireland and England will help Iyer understand what changes are needed.“After these two series, he will have time to think, understand what he requires from this team, how he needs them to play and what he needs from the support staff. So it will be cruel to say that Shreyas Iyer’s future as captain is in jeopardy.”

“Don’t judge him too soon”

Nayar said Iyer should first be allowed to form a team of his own before people start judging his leadership.He pointed to England captain Harry Brooke, England Test captain Ben Stokes and former India captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as examples of leaders who were trusted to build their own teams.“It was a really tough series and you can point the finger at Shreyas Iyer, but it’s more rational to understand what he wants from this team. Give him ownership of the feeling that this is his team, like Harry Brook is doing right now, Ben Stokes with the England Test team or Rohit Sharma for India when he was captain, or Virat Kohli, especially with his umpire as a better team.”

“No Panic Button”

Nayar also reminded fans that even current ODI captain Shubman Gill did not find instant success when he first took charge.He believes Iyer needs time to settle into the role before his captaincy can be judged fairly.“Even Shubman Gill, when he first became ODI captain, didn’t win a few series first. As you come into your own, you build confidence and the team you envision. It’s still early, there’s no panic button, but it has to be clear where this team is going,” he added.With two defeats in a row, Iyer’s captaincy has come under scrutiny, but Nayar believes patience – not panic – is the right approach as India embark on a new phase of T20 cricket.