India's white-ball reboot goes bust: Captaincy, execution and adaptation under scrutiny

Mumbai : Four months ago, India were celebrating a second successive T20 World Cup triumph under Suryakumar Yadav, built on an aggressive yet calculated brand of cricket. Today, they find themselves in unfamiliar territory. The 125-run thrashing at Nottingham — India’s biggest defeat by runs in T20 Internationals — was more than just another loss. Chasing 202, they were bowled out for 76 in 11.4 overs, slumping to a fourth successive defeat after a shock 0-2 series loss in Ireland. Captain Shreyas Iyer called the batting display “atrocious and unacceptable”.Head coach Gautam Gambhir has termed this phase a “reset” after sweeping personnel changes. Iyer has replaced Surya as captain, while key figures such as Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are absent. But transition alone cannot explain the scale of the decline. India’s inability to adapt to overseas conditions has become an equally worrying trend. TOI looks at factors behind the slide.Captaincy under scrutinyIyer’s tenure has made a shaky start. His batting returns — 3, 10, 68, 37 and 5 — have been inconsistent, while tactical decisions have raised questions. Promoting Axar Patel and Harshit Rana ahead of Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube in the third T20I suggested a side searching for answers rather than following a plan.IPL hangover?India’s batting appears conditioned by IPL cricket, where flat pitches reward relentless aggression. In England and Ireland, where seam movement demands patience, they have persisted with high-risk strokeplay, leading to repeated collapses. Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan have shown promise but struggled for consistency.The Samson-Sooryavanshi dilemmaDropping Sanju Samson after scores of 5, 0 and 1 in favour of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also come under scrutiny. The teenager’s scores of 14 and 13 underline the challenge of exposing him to tough overseas conditions so early in his career.Execution concernsLeg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi’s expensive spell at Old Trafford, where he conceded 60 runs and bowled three back-foot no-balls, reflected India’s wider struggles.For now, coach Gambhir’s quest for transition is understandable. But a successful reset requires clarity.Currently, India look caught between two identities — trying to replicate the fearless cricket of their World Cup-winning side without the experience that made it work.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.