Shreyas Iyer Equals Virat Kohli's Massive T20I Captaincy Record Against England

 Shreyas Iyer Equals Virat Kohli's Massive T20I Captaincy Record [Source: AFP]

In a significant achievement, India’s T20I captain Shreyas Iyer scored big during the 4th T20I against England held at the Bristol stadium. His knock helped him leapfrog legend Virat Kohli in an elite record list.

The fourth T20I between India and England began at Bristol under serious pressure as the men in blue were fighting for survival in the 5-game series. After opting to bat first, India lost openers Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma with just 33 runs on the board.

Shreyas Iyer tops record list featuring Virat Kohli

While wickets kept tumbling from one end, captain Shreyas Iyer stood his ground on the other end. He scored a half-century and converted it into a fine knock of 80* off 49 balls, which included 4 fours and 5 sixes.

He was the top scorer for India, as it helped the team post a respectable total of 158/7. That knock also helped him achieve an elite record.

Iyer’s 80-run knock is the highest T20I score by an Indian captain against England. The feat was previously achieved by legend Virat Kohli, who had scored 80 runs as well.

Highest T20I Score by Indian Captain v ENG

• 80* - 𝗦𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘆𝗮𝘀 𝗜𝘆𝗲𝗿
• 80* - Virat Kohli 
• 77* - Virat Kohli 
• 73* - Virat Kohli
• 68 - Shreyas Iyer 
• 57 - Rohit Sharma

This record list also features Kohli thrice and Shreyas Iyer twice. It’s clear that both Iyer and Kohli had their moment of brilliance against England in the T20I format.

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Shreyas Iyer redeems himself

Meanwhile, the 80-run knock comes at a crucial time for Shreyas Iyer. Since becoming India’s full-time T20I captain, he has failed repeatedly with the bat. Against Ireland, he scored 3 and 10 runs, respectively.

Not only that, India lost the 2-game T20I series to Ireland for the first time in the format’s history. Against England, he scored 37 runs in the second T20I and 5 in the third game.

Moreover, India was also trailing 0-2 in the 5-game series, meaning pressure was building up on Shreyas Iyer. But instead of succumbing to it, he absorbed it well and took responsibility. His 80-run knock came in a must-win game for India, and after 4 straight games, the skipper finally managed to lead from the front.

India walk on a tricky mission

Meanwhile, back in Bristol, India still managed to get a respectable total of 158 runs in the fourth T20I against England. It was only because of captain Shreyas Iyer that the men in blue could get past the 150-run mark.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi again failed at 15 off 10 balls while Abhishek Sharma added 16 off 14 balls. Ishan Kishan could only contribute 4 runs while Shivam Dube added 22 off 23 balls.

But in the second innings, India had a positive start. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh dismissed Jos Buttler on 8 off 8 balls to draw first blood as England lost their first wicket with 13 runs on the board.

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