IND vs ENG: Shreyas Iyer under ‘no pressure’ after T20I captaincy debut went sideways in Ireland

Is Shreyas Iyer feeling the heat? His predecessor, Suryakumar Yadav, was dropped despite leading the team to the 2026 T20 World Cup trophy. On his return to the side, not just as a batter but also after his appointment as India’s T20I captain, Shreyas ended the Ireland series with scores of 3 (7) and 10 (7).

Underwhelming return

Barring Abhishek Sharma, no Indian batter impressed. Shreyas’ lack of form was an issue as well. He hadn’t played T20I cricket for India since December 2023. To manage just 13 runs in 2 matches, that too when he was the skipper, is just not enough. By Shreyas’ own standards and the expectations of cricket fans.

Shreyas had been waiting for an opportunity for 3 years. Despite back-to-back exceptional Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons in 2024 and 2025, he couldn’t break into the side. He didn’t just fire with the bat but took his team to the title and final. Ireland was expected to be an easy target for him to peel off a few runs and stamp his authority.

Feeling no pressure

But that didn’t happen. In fact, India lost both matches. Therefore, one wonders whether Shreyas is under pressure. The 31-year-old was asked whether some doubts are creeping in ahead of the eve of the India vs England 1st T20I in Durham. “Not at all,” the Indian captain replied.

Against Ireland, Shreyas found the fielder while flicking the ball on the leg side and edged one back into his stumps while driving through the off-side. The Indian skipper doesn’t think he’s in bad nick and was just unlucky. We saw he was firing on all cylinders in the IPL, and two bad games don’t mean he’s out of form.

“The way I’m timing the ball in the nets, even in the match in the previous game, I thought I was timing brilliantly. The odd ball bounced and took the inside edge. That doesn’t justify how my batting is or how much pressure I’m taking, and I definitely believe in my instincts. I know how well I play under pressure, so I just want to keep that faith in me and go forward in the upcoming matches,” he told reporters.

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