Aakash Chopra questions Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy after India lose to Ireland

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Shreyas Iyer’s first T20I as India captain ended with a 34-run defeat to Ireland in Belfast on Friday, June 26, as India failed to chase 183 and were stopped at 148 in the opening match of the two-game series.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra questioned Iyer’s handling of the bowling attack after the defeat, with Prasidh Krishna’s full spell and Washington Sundar’s late introduction becoming the main points of scrutiny, as reported by The Times of India.

India lost the Belfast opener after a stalled chase

India needed 183 to win the first T20I, but the batting innings never found enough momentum and ended at 148.

Detail Information
Match India vs Ireland, first T20I of a two-game series
Venue Belfast
Date Friday, June 26
Result Ireland beat India by 34 runs
India chase Target 183, India stopped at 148

Chopra said Prasidh Krishna’s full spell was a concern

Prasidh Krishna conceded 57 runs from four overs at an economy rate of 14.25, but Iyer still allowed the Gujarat Titans pacer to complete his full quota.

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Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “Prasidh Krishna has played six T20Is for India. He has bowled 24 overs in that. He has taken eight wickets. So he is a bit of a wicket-taker, but look at the economy. He concedes 11.5 runs per over. He has conceded 277 runs in 24 overs. An innings comprises 20 overs, and if we talk about him conceding 277 runs in his 24 overs, that’s way too much. So that has become a cause for concern for sure. They had the option to go towards other bowlers. You said you wanted to play Prasidh Krishna, which is okay, but a slight lack of game awareness was visible (saying to Shreyas Iyer).”

Washington Sundar entered the attack only in the 16th over

Washington Sundar was introduced only in the 16th over, and the off-spinner’s only over cost India 19 runs after Ireland had already built a strong platform.

Chopra’s criticism focused on whether India could have used Sundar earlier and managed the bowling resources differently while Ireland were setting up the chase.

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Prasidh’s IPL form did not carry into the Ireland match

Prasidh arrived in Ireland after winning the Purple Cap in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets and then taking another 16 wickets in 12 matches for Gujarat Titans in the 2026 season.

Those IPL returns did not translate into a successful outing in Belfast, where Ireland targeted Prasidh during a difficult four-over spell.

Second T20I gives India a quick response window

India trail 0-1 in the two-game series, and the second T20I gives Iyer an immediate chance to respond to questions about India’s tactics and bowling management.

The next match will also test India’s ability to recover from a chase that never settled after Ireland posted a target of 183.