Former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara has voiced confidence in Shreyas Iyer’s leadership abilities for the upcoming T20I series against England. Pujara highlighted that while Iyer faces a significant challenge as captain, especially with his batting performance, he believes in Iyer’s proactive and player-friendly leadership style. Despite the tough task ahead, Pujara emphasized Iyer’s successful stint as captain in the IPL as a testament to his capabilities.
Acknowledging the excitement surrounding young talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Pujara noted that Sooryavanshi might not make an immediate debut due to India’s strong top order. Pujara pointed out the demanding nature of leading the Indian team in T20Is, especially in English conditions, after a two-year hiatus from the format. He underlined the unique challenges of playing in England despite improved white-ball pitches and expressed confidence in Iyer’s leadership skills based on his IPL captaincy experience.
Pujara highlighted the importance of Iyer’s batting performance in determining the success of his T20I return, emphasizing the need for him to excel in the middle order and deliver in English conditions. He stressed that while the challenges are real for Iyer, his leadership qualities and proactive approach should stand him in good stead as he takes on the responsibility of leading the Indian team in the T20I series against England.
