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NEW DELHI: Shreyas IyerThe start as India’s T20I captain was far from ideal. After a surprising 2-0 loss 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 top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings, with England moving to the top. India have now lost six consecutive T20Is under Iyer. Despite his poor results, the former Indian 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 that the new captain should be given enough time and freedom to shape the team according to his plans.“When you give someone the mantle to take over as champion, you also want to give them the freedom to choose their side. The first time you become captain, you don’t have the freedom to say, ‘This is where I want to take the team.’ You manage the team first and then see what you need to do with it,” Nayar told JioHotstar.He feels the defeats against Ireland and England will help Iyer realize what changes are needed.“After these two series, he will have time to think, figure out what he wants from this team, how he needs to play and what he needs from the support staff. So it will be harsh 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 make the team his own before people start judging his leadership.He pointed to England captain Harry Brook, England Test skipper 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 to feel like this is his team, like Harry Brook is doing now, Ben Stokes has done with the England Test team, or Rohit Sharma for India when he was captain, or Virat Kohli, especially with the Test team. Then it’s a better place to judge him.“
‘No panic button’
Nayar also reminded fans that even current ODI captain Shubman Gill did not enjoy immediate success when he first took charge.He believes Iyer needs time to settle into the role before his captaincy can be fairly assessed.“Even Shubman Gill, when he became ODI captain for the first time, didn’t win a few series first. As you go into yours, 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 consecutive series defeats, Iyer’s captaincy has come under scrutiny, but Nayar believes patience, not panic, is the right approach as India begin a new phase in T20 cricket.
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