Shreyas Iyer, captaincy, and different sides of a prism

 

Image: BCCI

When Shreyas Iyer was named the new T20I captain of the Indian team, it was considered a bold move by the selectors. On the surface, it seemed like one too. After all, Suryakumar Yadav, the then captain, was struggling for form. With India having hoisted the T20 World Cup trophy, alongside possessing incredible depth in white-ball cricket, it was time for such a ruthless call to be made.  However, just like how there are different sides to a prism, such a big decision could also have contrasting viewpoints.

One of them could be it wasn’t right to elevate Shreyas to the leadership role when he hadn’t been a part of the T20I set-up for close to three years. This school of thought also has enough logic attached to it. The keynote would be even if one of the candidates has the credentials to take over the mantle of leading the side, he needs to earn it. Simply put, parachuting a player who was out of the set-up, to a position of such eminence, despite the presence of other equally deserving candidates, could result in whispers in the dressing room.

Now, it doesn’t mean that the current Indian set-up has suddenly turned into a fractured dressing room. But without taking any names, it is fair to assume that a few of the cricketers might be wondering – how (and why) did a player who was not said to be deserving enough to play in the XI, suddenly became our captain?

In this respect, a small connecting point has to be added: selecting Shreyas as the captain doesn’t exactly equate to favoritism either. Over a period of time, Shreyas has led quite a few franchises to the later stages of the IPL, with one of those sides winning the title. Moreover, this writer has himself heard from a few sources that Shreyas is a fine motivational skipper.

Even from an individual point of view, this could affect Shreyas mentally. As he is returning to the national fold after a while, there is the added pressure of having to prove himself as a batsman. Unfortunately, with India slipping to an embarrassing loss to a modest Ireland side, he now finds himself in a pressure-cooker situation.  It is natural that millions of Indian cricket fans would target the captain, especially in the backdrop of India having remained unbeaten over 16 T20I rubbers, alongside winning two successive World Cups.

At a macro-level, we also probably overrate the concept of captaincy in cricket. There is no denying the fact that having a good captain brings enough value to any side in cricket. The counter-argument to that is even if the captain has the required tactical nous and turns out to be an inspirational speaker, the players have to execute their skills. To illustrate the point, Ben Stokes was said to be an inspirational figure, but in his last series in international cricket, England hurtled to a 1-2 defeat to New Zealand as his teammates couldn’t implement the plans.

Returning to Shreyas Iyer, the upcoming tour of England would be a litmus test for the Mumbai-born cricketer. Just flip through the pages of Shreyas’ career and you will unearth evidence of Shreyas navigating rough patches. Can he clear the potential thorns in front of him and create his own legacy? Only the illusionary time factor can answer such a question.

Follow Revsportz for latest sports news

The post Shreyas Iyer, captaincy, and different sides of a prism appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Consistent Nicholas Pooran can be world’s top T20 batter

Image
Nicholas Pooran’s carnage against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Image: IPL He has always had a calmness about him. A very West Indian relaxed kind of mindset and demeanour. And having seen adversity, he knows that one needs to celebrate and value the good that comes your way. The urge to keep getting better, and be the best version of oneself, is what defines the new Nicholas Pooran. That’s what came through in the candid conversations we had on the IPL and his own approach to batting. Not overawed by the 21-crore price tag or the weight of expectations, Pooran is simply going about his job. He knows he can hit the ball miles and is keeping it simple. Go and do what you do best for hours and hours at practice, and in doing so, help your team Lucknow Super Giants] demolish opponents. “The best part about this franchise is they have never put me under pressure,” he told me. “When you are paid a lot of money, there is always pressure. Not so much from outside but from within. You know you ne...
Read more

From scoring ton in Patna to taking on bouncers like a ‘bullet’ in Perth – Nitish’s story of perseverance

Image
Nitish Kumar Reddy during the 1st innings of the Perth Test (PC: Debasis Sen) “Grateful, an innings to remember.” Nitish Reddy had posted the aforesaid statement on his Instagram account after cracking his maiden first-class hundred, against Bihar, in Patna. It wasn’t just about Nitish scoring an unbeaten 159 for Andhra. It was also about the way he scored those runs. He essayed a few crunchy drives off Veer Pratap Singh and also showcased his range of shots against Ashutosh Aman, the left-arm spinner, by playing with the turn and also against the turn. This hundred from Nitish came just before the 2024 IPL season, where he accumulated 303 runs. Once again, it wasn’t just about Nitish accruing 303 runs as he accumulated them with a touch of class. Soon, the Indian think-tank drafted the all-rounder into the limited-overs set-up. Although he missed the Zimbabwe series because of a hernia problem, it was crystal clear that the coaching staff had a vision – to pick him for the tour o...
Read more

Turning the clock back by 0.12 seconds

Image
MS Dhoni with a stumping dismissal against MI in the IPL 2025 in Chennai (PC: BCCI) The moment of the Chennai Super Kings-Mumbai Indians match lasted less than half a second. It was the 11 th over of the MI innings. Suryakumar Yadav was bringing the batting side back in the game. Noor Ahmad beat him on a forward charge, the ball spun away, and the right-hander’s hind leg got off the ground before he planted it back. That was all MS Dhoni needed to brush the bails off. At a packed MA Chidambaram Stadium decked in yellow and chanting his name, that was the only occasion when Dhoni was in ‘action’. It showed that at 43, his reflexes have not slackened and he has got sharper in plotting dismissals. This one was replayed on TV again and again during the match and commentators couldn’t help but keep talking about it. He had conceded four byes on the leg side in the same over. But this was the Dhoni who elevated stumping to another level. When it comes to waiting for batters to err wit...
Read more