Shreyas Iyer India’s T20I Captaincy Under Scrutiny After England Clinch Series

Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim believes Shreyas Iyer needs to start stamping his authority as India’s T20I captain after England clinched the five-match series with a dominant nine-wicket victory in the fourth T20I at Bristol.

Speaking on JioHotstar’s Match Centre Live, Karim said Iyer’s tactical sharpness in the IPL has not yet translated to the international stage, while also calling for changes to India’s batting order ahead of the series finale.

Saba Karim: Shreyas Iyer must create his own captaincy identity

Karim said Iyer has shown excellent tactical awareness while leading IPL sides, but is yet to replicate that as India’s captain.

“I feel the time has come for Shreyas Iyer to assert himself as a captain. The tactical captaincy we have seen from him in the IPL has not yet been visible in international cricket,” Karim said on JioHotstar.

He questioned India’s batting order during the chase, particularly the decision to send Shivam Dube ahead of Tilak Varma.

“When he was batting in the middle, Shivam Dube came in at number five, I didn’t understand that decision. That is not the Shreyas Iyer we know from the IPL. Logically, if he were captaining in the IPL right now, Tilak Varma would have walked in at number five instead of Shivam Dube.”

Karim, however, backed Iyer to grow into the leadership role after scoring an unbeaten 80 in Bristol.

“The biggest positive is that he scored runs with the bat. That gives a captain a lot of confidence. I want him to create his own identity. He is ready for it. Now is the time to do it.”

‘India are playing like they’re on Indian pitches’

Karim also criticised India’s inability to adapt to English conditions, saying the batting unit continued to play high-risk shots despite England’s clear plans.

“You need to read the opposition’s bowling plans. If you don’t, the results won’t go your way. That is exactly what happened with the Indian batters.”

He pointed to Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue repeatedly using the short ball and said India failed to rotate the strike during the Powerplay.

“This Indian team is not adapting to English conditions. We are still playing like we are on Indian pitches with small boundaries. That is not how a World Cup-winning team plays.”

Sanju Samson should return for fifth T20I, says Karim

Looking ahead to the final match of the series, Karim backed Sanju Samson to return to the playing XI to add balance to India’s middle order.

“India needs a right-handed batter in the middle order, and Sanju Samson is the only viable option right now. To break the chain of left-handers, you need a mature, experienced right-hand batter, and there is no better choice than Sanju.”

Karim also suggested replacing Washington Sundar with Suryansh Shedge to provide an additional pace-bowling option.

Parthiv Patel blames poor planning for batting collapse

Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel echoed Karim’s concerns, saying India’s downfall was driven more by poor shot selection than technical shortcomings.

“The biggest change we made to our T20 cricket in 2022 was our intent. Skill has never been an issue with these players,” Patel said on JioHotstar.

“If the ball isn’t there to play the pull shot, then you simply can’t play it. You’re playing across the line, which is poor shot selection. Hence, it all comes down to lack of planning. England have been the better team, both in terms of planning and execution.”

IPL Impact Player rule hurting India, says Patel

Patel also argued that the IPL’s Impact Player rule has slowed the development of genuine pace-bowling all-rounders, leaving India overly dependent on Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.

“For the past 10 years, we’ve been saying the same thing, everything will be fine when Jasprit Bumrah comes back. Everything will be alright when Hardik Pandya returns.”

“The biggest reason behind that is the IPL’s Impact Player rule. India will not be able to find the all-rounder they are looking for until the Impact Player rule is removed from the IPL.”