“Not the Shreyas Iyer we know”: Former player gives reality check to T20I skipper after England debacle

Saba Karim said that Shreyas Iyer needs to lead from the front as captain in international cricket and bring the tactical brilliance he showed in the IPL into the national team. Iyer, who replaced Suryakumar Yadav following India’s win in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, is winless in the last six matches. The Men in Blue lost 0-2 against Ireland and are trailing 0-3 in England, with one game to spare. The first game was called off due to rain.

“The time has come for Shreyas Iyer to start asserting himself as a captain. He was spot on tactically in the IPL, but he is lacking in international cricket,” Karim said on JioHotstar.

“When he was in the middle, Shivam Dube was sent to bat at No.5. I didn’t understand the decision. That is not the Shreyas Iyer we know. If he were leading in the IPL, Tilak Varma would have been the next batter instead of Shivam Dube.

“Your message to your partner becomes important when you are there in the middle. He will take time to grow as a leader. The former wicket-keeper said Iyer’s return to form with the bat was positive news for the team, and it will help him in leadership as well.

“He scored runs with the bat. It will give him confidence. When you contribute as a batter, it improves your captaincy. I hope to see that in the near future. He should create his own identity, and he is ready to do it. It is the perfect time for him.”

Karim wants the team management to include a right-handed batter in the middle order for the fifth and final T20I. He took the names of Sanju Samson and Suryansh Shedge.

“India should change the combination as the team needs a right-handed batter in the middle order. Sanju Samson is the option. To break the dominance of left-handers, you need a mature and experienced right-handed batter. Samson is the best choice. The question is who goes out to include him.

“If the team management decides to persist with Tilak Varma, then you can replace Shivam Dube with Sanju Samson. It would make the batting order strong and solid. I am expecting another change,” he explained.

“Suryansh Shedge deserves to come in for  Washington Sundar. He can contribute as a sixth bowler.

“You need to counter the bowling plans of the rivals. If you don’t, the results won’t be in your favour. Indian batters are failing to counter the English pacers. Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue are bowling short, and we are losing wickets. The visiting batters are not assessing the dimensions of the ground while facing the new ball. There was a need to rotate the strike,” he suggested.

“If we had been smart against Archer and Tongue and avoided losing early wickets, there was a chance to accelerate later. Our scoring rate in the middle overs was not good. England didn’t allow our spinners to settle down and complete their overs. The current Indian team has failed to adapt to the conditions in England. We are still playing like we are in India, and the boundaries are small. This is not the way World Champions play,” he concluded.