Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar on Sunday backed Shreyas Iyer despite 4-0 whitewash against England in 5 match T20I series. He believed that it is too early to judge the skipper after his first assignment in charge.
India, led has failed to register a single victory under the Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy during the tour. Team India also lost two match T20I series against Ireland. The poor results have triggered debate over whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should consider a leadership change ahead of future assignments. However, Nayar urged the selectors and team management to avoid making hasty decisions, saying stability and clarity are more important than frequent changes.
Speaking during an interaction with JioHotstar, Nayar said a new captain should be given enough time to build the team according to his vision rather than being judged solely on early results. “When you give someone the mantle of taking over from a champion side, you also want to give him the liberty of picking his side,” Nayar said. He added that Iyer should be allowed time to assess the squad, identify areas for improvement and work with the support staff before any conclusions are drawn about his leadership.
According to Nayar, questioning Iyer’s future after just one tour would be unfair. Nayar pointed out that the England and Ireland tour was Iyer’s first series as India’s T20I captain while also marking his return to the shortest format. He said successful leaders are usually given ownership over their teams, citing examples of Harry Brook with England’s white-ball side, Ben Stokes in Tests, and former India captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Nayar also noted that Shubman Gill did not enjoy immediate success after becoming India’s ODI captain, arguing that captains need time to develop both confidence and their preferred style of leadership. “There is no need to press the panic button,” he said, while stressing that the team needs a clear roadmap going forward.
Reflecting on the tour, Nayar described the series as a valuable learning experience for the Indian side. He said England’s bowlers consistently targeted Indian batters with short-pitched deliveries, exposing an area where the visitors struggled to adapt.
According to him, the experience should help the players prepare better for overseas conditions, especially ahead of the T20 World Cup. Nayar expressed confidence that several Indian batters would now focus on improving their game against short-ball bowling. He also cautioned against making frequent changes to the playing XI or dropping players after a difficult series.
Speaking about India’s spin attack, he said Axar Patel’s recent struggles could be linked to workload and form rather than a long-term decline. He also referred to Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy, saying the team management should continue investing in the spinners instead of constantly rotating them.
Nayar urged head coach Gautam Gambhir and the support staff to communicate clearly with players about expectations and areas of improvement. “When you lose, you need to create direction, not chaos,” he said.