When Shreyas Iyer was appointed India’s T20I captain, the expectation was that the team would establish complete dominance over world cricket. India were already world champions under Suryakumar Yadav, and even while he struggled for form, opponents found it difficult to challenge them. Now, an in-form batter with a highly regarded captaincy record was taking charge. It seemed India were ready to rule the game the way Australia once did.
Instead, the opposite has happened. Iyer was expected to take India to greater heights, but his captaincy has taken the team to an all-time low.
Wins Against Weaker Teams Cannot Defend Shreyas Iyer’s Captaincy
Victories against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Japan, along with the Asian Games gold medal, might be used to defend Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy. But for a world champion team, those results should be the starting point, rather than proof of exceptional leadership.
India’s standards cannot fall to a level where beating weaker opposition becomes enough to dismiss failures elsewhere. The real test is whether they can maintain their superiority against teams capable of putting them under pressure.
Even against Japan, India came uncomfortably close to defeat. At the Asian Games, they fielded their main team while other sides sent second-string squads, yet winning still proved difficult at times. The gold medal does not erase those concerns.
Ireland and England Delivered Humiliating Results
The 2-0 series defeat in Ireland was a result few would have imagined for this Indian team. An opponent that had never previously beaten India went on to clean-sweep the reigning T20 world champions.
England followed with a 4-0 victory in a five-match series, with one match washed out. India ended their entire UK trip without a single win.
These defeats exposed a team unable to respond when opponents challenged them consistently. Across two successive series, the captain and management failed to find a way to stop the slide.
For a side that had entered this phase with ambitions of dominating world cricket, returning from Ireland and England without a victory was deeply embarrassing and these things happened to team India for very first time.
West Indies Have Beaten India at Their Own Game
India’s batting strength was supposed to make them particularly difficult to beat on flat pitches. West Indies have challenged that belief by winning two of the first four matches in conditions suited to heavy scoring.
They have shown that India are not the only team capable of hitting boundaries and posting imposing totals. If Indian batters can attack, West Indies can respond with just as much power. They chased down 250+ in 2nd T20I.
The fourth T20I in Hyderabad was a clear dominance. West Indies scored 247/3 and beat India by 24 runs, bringing the series level at 2-2.
On surfaces where both batting line-ups can score freely, the difference comes down to how well teams bowl, execute their plans and react under pressure. India’s batting firepower has not been enough to cover their shortcomings in those areas.
Selection Decisions Have Added to the Confusion
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has remained outside the playing XI through the first four matches against West Indies. On pitches offering such favourable batting conditions, it is difficult to understand why an aggressive batter like him has not received an opportunity.
What he might have achieved remains unknown because India have not allowed him to show it. Keeping him on the sidelines throughout these matches raises questions about how the management intends to use him.
The handling of the bowling attack has been equally confusing. Decisions about who should play, when bowlers should be used and why effective performers are left out have lacked a convincing, consistent direction.
Iyer has too often appeared unsure of his best combination and how to use the resources available to him. A captain taking charge of an established world champion side should bring clarity to those decisions.
If these selection problems continue and India keep falling short against competitive opposition, Iyer could lose the captaincy much sooner than expected.
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