Shreyas IyerThe India T20I captain’s tenure got off to a disappointing start as the Men in Blue lost the first match of the two-match series in Belfast on Friday, June 26, by 34 runs to Ireland. Chasing 183, India could never find batting momentum and ended up with 148, but Iyer’s tactical decisions on the field were also under scrutiny after the defeat.ex indian opener Akash Chopra Questions were raised about some of Iyer’s captaincy calls, particularly his handling of the bowling attack. Prasidh Krishna had a forgettable game, missing out on 57 runs at an economy of 14.25 overs in four overs, while Iyer stuck with the paceman of the Gujarat Titans and got him through the entire game despite taking heavy punishment.Chopra also highlighted another surprising decision. Off-spinner Washington Sundar, one of India’s frontline bowling options, was introduced only in the 16th over. By then, Ireland had built a strong platform and Sundar’s only over of 19 had many questioning whether he should have joined the attack earlier.Speaking on his YouTube channel after the match, Chopra said India’s new skipper could have managed his bowling resources differently. “Prasidh Krishna played six T20Is for India. He bowled 24 balls in them. He took eight wickets. So he was a bit of a wicket-taker, but look at the economy. He conceded 11.5 runs per over. He conceded 277 runs in 24 overs. An innings included him talking about 11.5 overs. That’s too much, so it’s definitely becoming a concern. You say you want to play Prasidh Krishna, that’s okay, but there is a clear lack of game awareness (says Shreyas Al),” Chopra said.Ironically, Prasidh comes to Ireland with an excellent IPL record, winning the Purple Cap with 25 wickets in the 2025 IPL and then taking another 16 wickets in 12 games for the Gujarat Titans in the 2026 season. However, these exploits did not translate into success in Belfast.With India trailing 0-1 in the series, Iyer will get an immediate chance to respond. The second T20I will not only test India’s ability to bounce back but also provide an opportunity for the new captain to answer questions about his tactical approach after a challenging start to his leadership career.
