At Hagley Oval in Christchurch on October 22, India's T20I series against New Zealand began with Shreyas Iyer leading the side as captain. Across four matches in the five-match contest, Iyer accumulated 76 runs at a strike rate of 126.67, a performance that drew scrutiny from former India pacer Shardul Thakur. In the fourth T20I at Auckland on October 30, which India lost by 87 runs, Iyer scored 22 off 11 deliveries before being dismissed.
Thakur offered a detailed assessment of the challenges facing a batter occupying the middle order in T20 cricket, particularly when that batter also shoulders captaincy responsibilities. The former pacer explained that the role demands a fundamentally different approach compared to opening batters, who have the freedom to set the tone of an innings.
"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," Thakur said while discussing Iyer's performances in the ongoing series on SonyLIV.
Thakur explained that the technical demands of middle-order batting extend beyond simply reacting to the match situation. Once a batter establishes himself at the crease, the requirement to execute aggressive batting in the death overs adds another layer of complexity to the role.
"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.
How does captaincy affect Iyer's batting performance?
Beyond his batting responsibilities, Iyer carries the additional burden of captaincy. Thakur acknowledged that leading the side while maintaining consistency as a batter creates competing demands that can affect decision-making and performance.
"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," Thakur said.
Iyer's captaincy record in franchise cricket demonstrated his tactical acumen and leadership qualities. With KKR, he guided the team to the IPL final and secured victory, while his stint with Punjab Kings saw the franchise reach the final but fall short. These experiences shaped his approach to leading India in the T20I format.
Thakur highlighted Iyer's captaincy credentials and the tactical improvements visible in his leadership. He pointed to India's recovery following consecutive T20I series defeats to Ireland and England as evidence of the team's resilience under Iyer's direction.
"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 added.
