Shreyas Iyer: 17th Over Haunts India in England Win. India captain Shreyas Iyer refused to blame leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi despite his costly 17th over proving decisive in England’s four-wicket victory in the second T20I at Old Trafford. Chasing 191, England rode on an unbeaten 76 from Jacob Bethell to reach the target with an over to spare.
The turning point came in the 17th over when Bishnoi leaked 29 runs. He started with a no-ball which Bethell dispatched for a six off the free hit. Another no-ball followed, and Bethell continued the assault with two sixes, a four, and singles to take 29 runs from the over. Although the over proved costly, Iyer stood by his young spinner, saying, “I think we all know where it went away but I don’t want to pinpoint a particular player.”
Shreyas Iyer believed his side had posted a winning total on a challenging surface with variable bounce. “It was a phenomenal score on this pitch,” he said, adding that credit must go to Bethell for changing the course of the chase. The India captain praised the young England batter’s fearless mindset, noting, “He’s got that unflinching attitude where he’s fearless.”
Despite the disappointing defeat, Shreyas Iyer said the team would quickly move on and focus on the third T20I at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on July 7. “Absolutely, I’m always in high spirits,” he concluded, looking ahead to the next match in the series.