"I did not like it at all" - Rahul Sharma blasts India star after 87-run loss in NZ vs IND 2026 4th T20I

Former India cricketer Rahul Sharma blasted the star batter for the 87-run loss in the fourth T20I. New Zealand registered their first victory of the series in Auckland.

Chasing 260, India were restricted to 172/9. Skipper Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for 22 off 11 balls. He attempted to play a big shot and ended up throwing his wicket away. The Men in Blue had already lost three wickets before his dismissal. Therefore, Rahul reckoned that Shreyas should have taken more responsibility in a big run chase.

"When you are chasing 250-plus and lose four wickets in the powerplay, it is always difficult to come back from there. The shot that Shreyas Iyer played, I did not like it at all. You cannot play such shots. You are such a big player and the captain. There is pressure, I know. But you had the chance," he said on 'Ash ki Baat'.

However, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin presented a slightly different perspective. He reflected that a senior batter had to take some risk in a big chase, and it would not pay off at times.

"You are chasing 250-plus. I know Shreyas is the captain and has to take responsibility. I agree with all of this. But you are chasing 260, two wickets are down, and I have a different opinion here. You need to take a risk. The shot that gives you runs will also get you out."

The Men in Blue have already sealed the series and are up 3-1. The fifth and final T20I of the series will be played on Sunday, November 1, in Hamilton.

Former India cricketer on importance of Shreyas Iyer's wicket

In the same video, Rahul Sharma explained that he did not blame Shreyas Iyer alone for the defeat. However, with India having lost big wickets in the form of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan early, he reckoned that it was important for the skipper to bat long.

Further, he added that an in-form batter like Naman Dhir could have been sent higher up the order. He reflected that a little experimentation in such a scenario would cause no harm with the series already won.

"I am not saying Shreyas is solely responsible. It was a big score. Sanju, Abhishek, and Ishan also got out on bad shots, and when the top-order gets out soon, the pressure increases. You need to see who your in-form batters are too. I think Naman Dhir could have been sent up after three wickets. You can take that chance. You are ahead in the series anyway. You can create these options in such situations," he said.

That said, Shreyas Iyer's form in this series has been concerning. In four matches, he has scored just 76 runs at an average of 19.00 and a strike rate of 126.66.

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