India, Oct. 6 -- Shreyas Iyer has returned as a gold medallist from the 2026 Asian Games. After a torrid start as India's T20I captain, things have changed, and the results have started to follow. The team now appears far more settled under him, with Iyer even leading India to a win over arch rivals Pakistan in a tournament final. However, just as Iyer, the captain, is beginning to see the brighter side of things, it has turned gloomy for Iyer the batter. His primary identity as a prolific run scorer has taken a severe hit.

A look at Iyer's last 10 innings brings the concern into sharp focus. He is yet to cross 30, with scores of 28, 28*, 25, 27, 8*, 11, 29, 16, 13 and 21. That's 206 runs in these 10 innings at an average of 25.75 and a ...