India’s T20I side is in a difficult spell, winless in its last five matches. Back-to-back defeats against Ireland and England have raised concerns, and the series against England is slipping away after two successive losses.
Leadership under pressure
Shreyas Iyer took the captaincy with a strong IPL record, having led several franchises successfully. International cricket asks for a different level of tactical awareness and consistency, though, and the team’s failure to recover from tough situations has put his decision-making in focus. The captain cannot carry all the blame, but the questions are natural.
Was it too early?
Some observers feel India had other leadership candidates, with experience at domestic level and in the national set-up. The selectors instead backed Iyer’s IPL credentials, hoping that success would carry over. So far the results have fallen short of expectations.
Two roles, one bat
Iyer is also India’s ODI vice-captain as the side builds towards the 2027 ODI World Cup. Combining leadership duties with steady batting is demanding in a busy calendar. He made an encouraging half-century in the second T20I against England but has not produced impactful innings consistently, and his Ireland series was below par, leaving a question over whether the extra responsibility is affecting his batting.
What next?
Writing him off after a few poor results may be premature, since captains often struggle early in a tenure and the remaining England matches offer a chance to turn things around. A strong response could quickly ease the worries. If the slump continues for long, the selectors may have to review both the captaincy and Iyer’s longer-term T20I role.
