Player who made more than half the runs, you didn't send him up but further down: Chopra on Iyer's batting position

In the first match of the series, Iyer scored 67 runs as India struggled to put on a commanding total.

There has been a lot said about Shreyas Iyer and his position in Team India’s playing XI. Iyer generally bats at the no.4 position after captain Virat Kohli but hasn’t played in his preferred position in the ongoing T20I series against England. In the first match, Iyer scored 67 runs as India struggled to put on a commanding total.

Aakash Chopra on Shreyas Iyer's batting position. (Twitter/ BCCI Photo)

He did not get to showcase his ability in the subsequent match as India chased England's target with seven wickets in hand. In the fourth T20I, Iyer hit a 17-ball 37 to help India reach a total of 185.

However, former India batsman-turned commentator Aakash Chopra isn’t happy that Iyer has to bat at the No.6 position. But Chopra said that Iyer does not have a choice and will have to play at “whatever position given to him”.

READ | What you are telling the world is that on-field umpire is still the boss: Deep Dasgupta on soft signal rule

"He does not have any other option. As they say if you are pushed into the water, you don't have any other option but to swim as the other option is to drown. So he has to bat at whatever position given to him," Chopra told ESPNCricinfo.

"Whether it is ideal, definitely not because in the first match he had scored 67 when India made 124. So the player who made more than half the runs, you didn't send him up the order but further down. He was batting at No.5 there, now he is batting at No.6. No.6 is not the right spot for him, he has batted well, you need to pat his back but he is not a long-term option at the position you are making him bat."

"Shreyas Iyer is making the best use of the opportunity given to him but it is not the best number for him and it is slightly a problem of their own making because there are so many top-order batsmen that even Kohli is not getting to bat at his preferred batting slot," Chopra said.

"It is probably working here because he batted well and he got more chances as well because you lost a lot of early wickets. But generally, you don't lose so many wickets early in T20 cricket in which case the No.6 batsman will not be utilised at all because you will push him further down and send Hardik Pandya ahead of him."

With 250 runs in nine matches, Iyer has an average of 50.00 when he has batted at the No.4 position in T20Is.