Cricket, much like life, is filled with highs and lows. Success brings praise and momentum, while difficult phases can be unforgiving. India captain Shreyas Iyer is currently experiencing one of the toughest periods of his career.
Just weeks after being appointed India's T20I captain following three impressive domestic seasons, Iyer has endured a difficult start to his leadership tenure. What was expected to be a smooth transition for the reigning world champions has instead turned into a struggle, with India searching for answers after a series of disappointing results.
India take on England in the fourth T20I on Thursday, July 9, at the County Ground in Bristol. The match begins at 10 pm IST and will be streamed on JioStar, while Sony Sports Network will provide the television broadcast.
For Iyer, this represents perhaps his most challenging phase since he was dropped from the BCCI's central contracts at the beginning of 2024 for allegedly not prioritising domestic cricket.
He responded impressively to that setback. Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024, guided Punjab Kings to a runners-up finish in 2025, and oversaw an unbeaten seven-match run during IPL 2026 before earning the India captaincy despite not having featured in the T20I side for nearly two-and-a-half years.
However, just five matches into his stint as captain, he finds himself under pressure once again.
Some may argue that it is too early to judge, but the numbers paint a worrying picture. India have lost four of Iyer's first five matches in charge.
No Indian captain has previously gone winless in their first five T20Is.
His predecessor, Suryakumar Yadav, never lost a T20I series as captain and suffered only eight defeats in 52 matches.
Hardik Pandya, who led India between late 2022 and Rohit Sharma's return, lost only five of the 16 T20Is he captained.
Even Shubman Gill, who served as India's T20I vice-captain before the T20 World Cup, has a superior captaincy record, having won four of the five matches he has led.
The seriousness of India's struggles was evident when head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the media midway through the series, something he usually reserves for the end of a tour.
India's struggles continue
India's recent performances have been difficult to explain given that the squad remains largely unchanged apart from a few senior players.
The team has already lost a T20I series against Ireland and, after three matches against England, can no longer win the current bilateral series.
For a side that has won the last two T20 World Cups, the downturn has been significant.
Following the defeat in Ireland, Indian players admitted they may have underestimated the opposition, believing they could comfortably win the series.
The quick turnaround before the England series has left little time to correct those mistakes, and the team has struggled to adapt to English conditions.
England fast bowler Jofra Archer even suggested that India's batters, accustomed to flatter pitches and shorter boundaries, have found the conditions in England difficult to negotiate.
If that assessment is accurate, it raises concerns ahead of future overseas tournaments.
The silver lining is that India's batting collapse to 76 all out in the previous match is unlikely to be repeated. Bristol traditionally produces high-scoring contests, which could favour India's batting unit.
What has held India back?
Former cricketers believe India's frequent changes to the playing XI have contributed significantly to their poor run.
After the third T20I, former India captain Anil Kumble criticised the constant alterations to the bowling attack, arguing that a new captain needs consistency among his bowlers.
"If you look at this Indian team, there have been too many changes, especially with the bowling attack. Prasidh Krishna went for runs in the first game against Ireland and was dropped. Prince Yadav came in, bowled exceptionally well, picked up wickets, India still lost, and then he wasn't even in the starting XI for the next game," Kumble said.
"As a new captain, you want a settled bowling attack. The bowlers are the ones who win you matches. Batters score runs, but bowlers finish games," he added.
Former India pacer and Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach Varun Aaron also pointed to tactical shortcomings.
"In Trent Bridge, India started bowling slower balls and yorkers far too early. The surface didn't demand that. This is where someone like Jasprit Bumrah makes a difference because he quickly reads conditions and guides the captain on the right lengths," Aaron said.
Without Bumrah available, the responsibility falls on the team management and leadership group to make those tactical adjustments during matches and between games.
Will India make changes?
After successive defeats, changes to the playing XI remain a possibility.
Sanju Samson could return to the side, although his immediate recall may invite criticism after his recent omission.
Another option is to include Washington Sundar, whose all-round abilities would strengthen both India's batting depth and bowling resources.
What happens if India lose again?
A defeat in Bristol would result in India losing back-to-back T20I series, further increasing scrutiny on Shreyas Iyer's captaincy.
While such a run could prompt discussions among the selectors, making a leadership change after only a handful of matches would appear premature.
Another loss may instead force India to reassess the tactical blueprint that delivered successive T20 World Cup titles. With the next tournament scheduled in Australia, the team has already begun experimenting with bowlers suited to those conditions, and the batting order may also come under review.
A victory, however, would provide much-needed relief for Iyer by ending his difficult run as captain and restoring some confidence within the squad.
Having overcome setbacks before, Iyer will hope to emerge stronger from this challenging period.
Pitch report
The County Ground in Bristol is generally known as a batting-friendly venue, where totals around 200 are often competitive. However, scoring has been relatively lower this season, with 170-180 expected to be a winning score.
The weather forecast predicts no rain, while temperatures are expected to remain warm during the match. The team winning the toss is likely to choose to bat first.
Predicted Playing XIs
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.
India: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.
