Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has backed the under-fire Indian T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, who has been struggling to get going with the bat in the ongoing five-game T20I series against New Zealand.
Speaking on SonyLIV, Thakur explained that Shreyas Iyer’s role in the middle order comes with considerable responsibility, as he often has to adapt his batting according to the match situation rather than dictate the tempo.
In the four T20Is so far on the New Zealand tour, Iyer managed only 76 runs in four innings at an average of 19, with five fours and two sixes. Further, he pointed out that the top three batters generally establish the momentum, while Iyer, coming in at No. 4 or occasionally No. 5, must assess the scoreboard and respond accordingly.
“Many times, how you bat depends on the match situation, and at the number he bats, he has to react to the situation. He cannot set the momentum. The momentum gets set by the top three batters, but Shreyas Iyer comes at No. 4, and sometimes at No. 5 if the left-hander is sent in as a tactical call,” Shardul Thakur said on SonyLIV.
“You have to react based on the situation and the scoreboard. So it’s not an easy position to bat, and once you get set, you also need death batting. So, it’s a challenge as to how you adapt to the game, set the tempo of your batting, and finish as well. So he has a lot of responsibility,” he added.
Thakur further highlighted that Iyer carries the additional responsibility of leading the side, which adds to his responsibilities in the middle order. He also emphasised that fluctuations in form and performance are part and parcel of T20 cricket, urging everyone not to judge players too harshly based on their performances in the shortest format.
“On top of that, he is the captain. That’s an added responsibility for him these days. So the decision-making can be up and down at times. However, we have seen him doing captaincy in domestic cricket and especially in the IPL, and he has played the final with two (three) franchises. He played the final with KKR and won. He played the final with Punjab and lost,” he noted.
“So he has the captaincy skills, and he is showing that when he is leading the Indian team. His start wasn’t good, but the comeback he has made in captaincy, and the tactics he is trying to apply in the game are working for him. Ups and downs keep happening in T20 cricket. You don’t need to judge any batter or bowler much in this format, and Shreyas Iyer too as a captain,” he concluded.
