Shreyas Iyer makes bizarre excuse after series loss in Bristol

India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has thrown his weight behind Shreyas Iyer following the team’s disappointing T20I series defeat in England, urging critics to be patient with the new captain as the side navigates a difficult period.

Harry Brook and Phil Salt stitched together an unbeaten 146-run stand to chase down the 159-run target with 37 balls to spare. The defeat also marked India’s fifth loss in six T20Is under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy.

The series loss came on the back of a shock 2-0 defeat in Ireland, piling pressure on Iyer, who replaced Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain despite not being part of the side’s triumphant World Cup campaign. However, Ten Doeschate insisted that the management had taken a long-term view while making the leadership change.