Shreyas IyerThe Indian T20I captain’s tenure got off to a disappointing start as the Men in Blue lost by 34 runs against Ireland in the opening match of the two-match series in Belfast on Friday, June 26. Chasing 183, India lost steam with the bat and eventually folded for 148, but it was Iyer’s smart fielding decisions that came under scrutiny after the loss.India’s first opener Akash Chopra he questioned some of Iyer’s captaincy calls, especially his bowling. While Prasidh Krishna endured a forgettable outing, bowling 57 runs from his four overs at an economy of 14.25, Iyer stuck with the Gujarat Titans pacer and allowed him to complete his spell despite the heavy punishment he was receiving.Chopra also highlighted another decision that raised eyebrows. Off-spinner Washington Sundar, one of India’s leading bowling options, was introduced in the 16th over. By that time, Ireland had already built a strong platform, and Sundar was just short of chasing 19 runs, leaving many to question whether he should have been brought in earlier.Speaking on his YouTube channel after the match, Chopra suggested that the new Indian captain could have managed his controls differently. “Prasidh Krishna has played six T20Is for India. He has bowled 24 overs in it. He has taken eight wickets. So he is a bit of a wicket taker, but look at the economy. He allows 11.5 runs per over. He has scored 277 runs in 24 overs. 2 innings if coding 7 includes 7, 7. in his 24 overs, it is difficult. very much. You said you want to play Prasidh Krishna, which is fine, but a little lack of understanding of the game is seen (saying of Shreyas Iyer),” said Chopra.Surprisingly, Prasidh arrived in Ireland with a good IPL record, winning the Purple Cap in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets before taking another 16 wickets in 12 matches for Gujarat Titans in 2026. However, this success did not translate to Belfast.With India trailing 0-1 in the series, Iyer will have an opportunity to respond. The second T20I will not only test India’s ability to bounce back, but also give the new captain a chance to answer questions surrounding his technical approach after a rocky start to his tenure.
