Shreyas needs to be given time in his new role: Gavaskar

Shreyas Iyer’s stint as T20I captain has begun on the wrong foot with India stung by the series defeat to Ireland on Sunday.

Having taken charge of a team that has won the last two T20 World Cups under Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, the 31-year-old would have been aiming to make an instant mark on his comeback to the T20I fold after nearly three years.

Instead, his low returns of three and 10 were accompanied by successive losses to Lorcan Tucker’s Irish outfit. With a T20I series against England beginning at Chester-le-Street in Durham on Wednesday, the pressure will mount on the Mumbai batter if the Men in Blue don’t quickly put up a display befitting their status as World champions.

In former India captain Sunil Gavaskar’s view, however, Shreyas needs to be given some leeway before he settles into his new role. The legendary opener pointed to his fellow Mumbaikar’s exemplary captaincy record in the IPL, whilst also noting that the step up to leading the national side isn’t always seamless.

“With any new relationship, there will always be just a little time taken for the support staff and the players to understand what is expected of them. Because of the change of leadership, Shreyas will probably take a little time. We just have to be a little patient,” Gavaskar said during an online interaction on Monday.

“His leadership is proven (in the IPL). But again, when it comes to international cricket, it’s a whole different ball-game.”

If it was up to the 76-year-old, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would be making his debut in India’s opening T20I against England.

“I am hoping he plays the first game. Because it will be the start of a new series. If he gets the team off to a flying start, it is the best way to recover from the series loss in Ireland,” Gavaskar opined.

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