Shreyas Iyer Tops Unwanted List As India's T20I Captain After Manchester Defeat

Shreyas Iyer [Source: AFP]

Shreyas Iyer has found himself on the unwanted list of Indian captains after India's defeat to England in the second T20I at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, on Saturday, July 4. 

The loss not only put India behind in the five-match series but also added another disappointing chapter to Iyer's start as captain.

India's Batting Shows Promise But Falls Short

After winning the toss, England chose to field first, and the decision worked well for the hosts. Abhishek Sharma continued his impressive form by scoring a fluent 43 runs. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan looked better with the bat and scored 49 runs, while skipper Shreyas Iyer added 37 runs. 

Towards the end of the innings, Tilak Varma played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 24 runs. He collected 17 runs in the final over, helping India finish on a competitive 190/7.

England Complete Comfortable Chase

England's chase began with a few setbacks as Arshdeep Singh dismissed both Phil Salt and Jos Buttler cheaply. However, Harry Brook shifted the momentum by smashing 39 runs from only 15 balls.

After Brook's dismissal, Jacob Bethell played a match-winning innings. The young batter remained unbeaten on 76 off 46 balls. 

Notably, India tried to fight back, but Ravi Bishnoi's expensive 17th over, which leaked 29 runs and included two no-balls, proved to be the turning point. Bethell eventually guided England home with one over to spare.

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Shreyas Iyer Creates Unwanted Captaincy Record After Manchester Defeat

Notably, India suffered a defeat despite putting up a competitive total, and the result means that Shreyas Iyer has now gone winless in his first four T20I matches as India's captain. 

With this, he has become the only Indian skipper in history to remain without a victory after his first four matches in charge.

In comparison, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli registered their maiden wins in their second matches as captain, while Shubman Gill also had to wait until his second game. 

Rishabh Pant, who endured a difficult start during the home series against South Africa in 2022, secured his first victory in his third match as captain. 

Most of India's other T20I captains, including Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul, won on their captaincy debut. 

A Difficult Start To Shreyas Iyer's Captaincy

Shreyas Iyer was appointed India's T20I captain ahead of the Ireland and England series, replacing Suryakumar Yadav. Interestingly, this was also Iyer's return to India's T20I side after last playing against Australia in Bengaluru on December 3, 2023.

However, his comeback has not gone according to plan. India first suffered a 0-2 series defeat against Ireland, including a heartbreaking one-run loss in the second T20I. That defeat marked India's first T20I series loss in 1,050 days, with their previous series defeat coming against the West Indies.

Following that setback, India travelled to England for the ongoing five-match T20I series. The opening match was washed out because of rain, while England claimed victory in the second game at Manchester. As a result, the world's No. 1-ranked T20I side now trails 1-0 in the series.

With three matches still left to play, Shreyas Iyer and his team will be eager to bounce back, level the series, and end the captain's unwanted record with their first victory.

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