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Shreyas Iyer sets unwanted record in Manchester as India go down 1-0 against England in five-match T20I series originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- England win by four wickets at Old Trafford; Jacob Bethell's unbeaten 76 seals the chase.
- Shreyas Iyer becomes first Indian captain to go winless in first four T20I matches.
- Ravi Bishnoi's costly 17th over, leaking 29 runs, proved to be the decisive turning point.
Shreyas Iyer creates unwanted record as England win second T20I at Old Trafford
Shreyas Iyer has etched his name into the record books for all the wrong reasons, becoming the first Indian captain in history to go without a win in his opening four T20I matches after England clinched a four-wicket victory in Manchester on Saturday to take the series lead.
India were put in to bat on a lively Old Trafford surface. Abhishek Sharma made 43, Ishan Kishan hit 49, and Iyer himself contributed 37, but England's disciplined bowling attack never allowed India to shift to top gear.
Sam Curran was the pick of the home bowlers, finishing with three wickets for 33 runs using smart variations that kept the Indian middle order guessing. Tilak Varma's cameo rescued the innings late on, scoring an unbeaten 24 off just 11 balls, including a stunning 17 runs off the final over to push India to 190 for 7.
With the ball, Arshdeep Singh struck twice early, removing Phil Salt and Jos Buttler to leave the hosts under pressure. Harry Brook briefly threatened to take the game away from India with a stunning 39 off 15 balls, but Axar Patel, India's most economical bowler with figures of 1 for 19, ended that threat.
However, Jacob Bethell then took control, building an assured unbeaten partnership of 76 off 46 balls and adding 67 runs alongside Tom Banton. India were in control for the bulk of the chase, but Ravi Bishnoi's 17th over cost 29 runs, which tilted the match in England's favour.
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Shreyas Iyer sets a record no captain would want
Seven other Indian captains have led the side in more than three T20Is, and each of them managed at least one victory in their first four matches. Iyer stands alone as the only one to have gone without a win across that initial stretch.
His tenure began under considerable weight, given that he was stepping in for Suryakumar Yadav, the captain who had just led India to the 2026 T20 World Cup title. His first assignment, a two-match series against an injury-weakened Ireland side, ended in a historic 0-2 defeat.
The first T20I against England was washed out in Durham, and now Manchester has delivered another blow.
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| Player | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Dhoni | 72 | 41 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 56.94 |
| Rohit Sharma | 62 | 49 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 79.03 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 52 | 40 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 76.92 |
| Virat Kohli | 50 | 30 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 60 |
| Hardik Pandya | 16 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 62.5 |
| Rishabh Pant | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 40 |
| Shubman Gill | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Iyer remains defiant despite the record
Despite the pressure mounting, Iyer refused to show any sign of panic after the loss, when Nasser Husain asked him whether he thinks a bounce back is on the cards.
"Absolutely, I'm always on high spirits, and I know that this is the lowest you can go. And then the only way is to win from here," he said.
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It was always going to be a tall order to replace a World Cup-winning captain, but Iyer has been thrown into a turbulent situation with very little time to settle.
The team's structure at the top looks uncertain, the middle order has been inconsistent, and the bowling hasn't held its nerve in key overs. These are generic issues, not merely a captaincy problem. Iyer deserves more time and a more settled squad before a final judgment is delivered.
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