Shreyas Iyer’s challenging start as India’s T20I captain has received strong backing from his sister, Shrestha Iyer, who believes the right-hander has all the qualities to become one of the country’s finest leaders despite his winless start. India’s struggles continued after a crushing 125-run defeat to England in the third T20I at Trent Bridge, extending the team’s winless streak to five matches.

It is the first time India have gone five consecutive T20Is without registering a victory. The poor run began with a 2-0 series loss to Ireland in Belfast and has continued with defeats in the opening completed matches against England.

As criticism of Iyer’s captaincy intensified, Shrestha defended her brother, pointing out that even the greatest cricketers have experienced difficult phases in their careers.

“There is Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli is a legend, Rohit Sharma is a legend, and Sachin Tendulkar is a legend, and even they have all lost plenty of matches too,” she said during an interview with Filmygyan.

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Shrestha urged fans not to judge Iyer solely based on the team’s recent results, insisting that his leadership potential should not be overlooked.

“But if you keep calling out Shreyas Iyer all the time, then maybe the problem lies with you, not him. I feel he is amazing. He has a very different personality overall, and I think he has a lot to offer. I know he has so much to give,” she added.

Why is Shreyas Iyer’s sister using Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Sachin names to defend her brother? Shubman Gill has won 4/5 T20Is in his first series as captain, drew 2-2 in England in his second series, won 2-0 against the West Indies in his third series as… pic.twitter.com/yDiKy74Jvt

— Ahmed Says (@AhmedGT_) July 8, 2026

She also expressed confidence that the difficult phase would soon be behind him, predicting that Iyer would eventually be regarded as one of India’s top captains.

Her support comes at a time when Iyer is under increasing pressure following India’s disappointing results. After the defeat in Nottingham, the skipper admitted his team played “atrocious” cricket after being bowled out for just 76 while chasing 202, their biggest defeat by runs in T20I history.

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With two matches still remaining in the England series, Iyer will be hoping to guide India to their first victory under his leadership and begin turning around a difficult start to his captaincy tenure.