- ‘He can’t give any swing’ – Shardul Thakur on New Zealand’s Shreyas Iyer’s T20I form Shardul Thakur has analyzed Shreyas Iyer’s batting struggles during India’s T20I series against New Zealand and explained the significant pressure that comes with batting in the middle order while holding the side.
- Shreyas Iyer (Photo Source: BCCI) India’s T20I series against New Zealand began on October 22 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch with Shreyas Iyer leading the side as ctain.
- In four games of the five-match competition, Iyer amassed 76 runs at a strike rate of 126.67, a performance that caught the attention of former India pacer Shardul Thakur.
‘He can’t give any swing’ – Shardul Thakur on New Zealand’s Shreyas Iyer’s T20I form Shardul Thakur has analyzed Shreyas Iyer’s batting struggles during India’s T20I series against New Zealand and explained the significant pressure that comes with batting in the middle order while holding the side.
Shreyas Iyer (Photo Source: BCCI) India’s T20I series against New Zealand began on October 22 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch with Shreyas Iyer leading the side as ctain. In four games of the five-match competition, Iyer amassed 76 runs at a strike rate of 126.67, a performance that caught the attention of former India pacer Shardul Thakur. In the fourth T20I in Auckland on October 30, which India lost by 87 runs, Iyer scored 22 from 11 deliveries before being dismissed.
Thakur provided a detailed assessment of the challenges faced by a middle-order batsman in T20 cricket, especially when that batsman also takes on control duties. The former leader explained that the role requires a fundamentally different proach to that of the opening batsman, who has the freedom to set the tone of an innings. “Often the way you hit depends on the game situation and depending on the number of shots you hit, you have to react to the situation.
He cannot set the momentum. The top three batters provide the momentum, but Shreyas Iyer comes in at number one. 4, and sometimes at No.
5 when the southpaw is sent as a tactical call,” Thakur said while talking about Iyer’s performance in the ongoing series on SonyLIV. Thakur explained that the technical demands of middle-order batting go beyond just reacting to the game situation. Once a batter has established himself at the batting crease, the role becomes even more complex with the requirement to deliver aggressive shots in deadly overs.
“We have to react according to the situation and the scoreboard. So it’s not an easy position to hit, and once you’re ready, you also need a killing blow. So it’s a challenge how you enter the game, set the tempo of your shot and also finish.
So he has a lot of responsibility,” he added. How does possession affect Iyer’s batting performance? Beyond his batting responsibilities, Iyer carries the additional burden of possession.
Thakur acknowledged that leading the team while maintaining consistency as a batsman brings with it competing demands that can impact decision-making and performance. “Besides, he’s the clan. That’s an added responsibility for him these days.
Decision making can therefore sometimes experience ups and downs. However, we have seen him doing ctaincy 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 ctaincy record in franchise cricket demonstrated his tactical acumen and leadership qualities. With KKR, he led the team to the IPL final and secured victory, while his stint with the Punjab Kings led the franchise to reach the final but failed.
These experiences shed his proach to leading India in the T20I format. Also Read: ‘Will you play him only when someone is injured?’ – Aakash Chopra questions Indian team management after Sooryavanshi’s snub in Auckland Thakur highlighted Iyer’s ctaincy 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 ctaincy 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 ctaincy, and the tactics he is trying to ply in the game are working for him. Ups and downs keep hpening in T20 cricket.
In this format, you don’t have to judge a batsman or a bowler much and neither does Shreyas Iyer as a member,” he added.
