‘Lack of awareness of the game was visible’: Former India cricketer questions captain Shreyas Iyer’s calls

Shreyas Iyer’s tenure as India’s T20I captain got off to a disappointing start as the Men in Blue suffered a 34-run defeat to Ireland in the opening match of the two-match series in Belfast on Friday, June 26. Chasing 183, India never found any momentum with the bat and eventually folded for 148, but it was also a tactical decision after losing.Former India opener Aakash Chopra questioned some of Iyer’s captaincy calls, particularly his handling of the bowling attack. While Prasidh Krishna endured a forgettable outing, conceding 57 runs from his four overs at an economy of 14.25, Iyer insisted on the Gujarat Titans pacer and allowed him to complete the spell despite the heavy punishment he received.Chopra also highlighted another decision that raised eyebrows. Off-spinner Washington Sundar, one of India’s premier bowling options, was not introduced until the 16th over. By then, Ireland had already built a strong platform and Sundar’s only over went for 19 runs, leaving many questioning whether he should have been brought into the attack much earlier.Chopra suggested on his YouTube channel after the match that the new Indian captain might have managed his bowling resources differently. “Prasidh Krishna has played six T20Is for India. He has taken 24 runs in that. He has taken eight wickets. So he is a bit of a keeper, but look at the economy. He is conceding 11.5 runs per over. He has conceded 277 runs in 24 overs. An innings of 27 has 27 runs and 20 overs in 24 overs, that’s too many, so that has become a reason to I’m worried, they had the option to go against other bowlers, you said you want to play Prasidh Krishna, which is fine, but a slight lack of awareness of the game was visible (said Shreyas Iyer),” said Chopra.Ironically, Prasidh arrived in Ireland with an excellent IPL record, winning the Purple Cap in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets, before taking a further 16 wickets in 12 matches for Gujarat Titans in the 2026 season. However, these feats did not translate into success in Belfast.With India trailing 0-1 in the series, Iyer will have an immediate opportunity to respond. The second T20I will not only test India’s ability to bounce back but also give the new captain a chance to answer questions about his tactical approach after a challenging start to his leadership.