MASSIVE challenge for Shreyas Iyer to win T20I series in England after Kohli and Rohit, says Pujara

India’s five-match T20I series against England is the start of a new innings with Shreyas Iyer at the helm. The new captain has had success as a leader in franchise cricket but the tour of England presents a very different challenge as the conditions are expected to test both his captaincy and batting.

Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara believes Iyer has the qualities to lead the side successfully but feels his biggest challenge will be proving himself with the bat after a long break from T20 internationals.

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Pujara backs Iyer’s leadership abilities

Iyer returns to India’s T20I setup after nearly two years and will captain the national side in the shortest format for the first time.According to Pujara, leading India in England is never an easy assignment, especially after taking over from successful captains like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

“It is going to be challenging for Shreyas Iyer to become the third Indian skipper after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to win a T20I series in England. There is no doubt about that. Playing in English conditions, even with better white-ball pitches, is still a different kind of challenge. Shreyas is leading the Indian team for the first time, and he is playing T20Is after a two-year gap. So, the challenge is real,” he told JioStar.

But even then, Pujara has no doubts on the ability of Iyer as a leader. He pointed out how the right-hander inspired the Punjab Kings in IPL and made daring calls under pressure to show how he could inspire a team.

“But as a captain, I don’t have doubts about him. He has done a great job with Punjab Kings in the IPL, and that is why he has been given this role. He is a proactive leader, leads from the front, and gives freedom to his players. So as a captain, he should be fine,” he added.

Pujara : Batting will decide Iyer’s success

While Pujara is confident about Iyer’s captaincy, he believes the middle-order batter will have to justify his place with consistent performances in English conditions.

After spending a long period away from India’s T20I side, Iyer now has an opportunity to cement his position once again.Pujara feels scoring runs will be the biggest factor in determining how successful his comeback proves to be.

“The real test will be with his batting. He will have to prove himself in the middle order and deliver in English conditions.”

Pujara also spoke about teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose international debut continues to be one of the biggest talking points ahead of the England series.

Although the youngster has impressed everyone with his performances, Pujara feels breaking into India’s playing XI will not be straightforward because the current top order is already well established.