Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthikbelieves the scars of India's recent tour of Ireland played a major role in the team's surprising decision to bat first in the opening T20I against England. Despite overcast conditions and the threat of rain at Riverside Ground on Wednesday, captain Shreyas Iyer opted to set a target instead of chasing.

Teams usually prefer to bowl first in T20 cricket when rain is a possibility, as chasing can offer an advantage under the DLS method. However, after suffering a shock 0-2 series whitewash in Ireland, where India failed to chase down targets in both matches, Karthik believes the team was determined to avoid the pressure of another run chase.

“India, choosing to bat, was a good decision, even though, obviously, there was a bit of weather around the corner constantly… The general tendency is to chase down totals. It was a bit off and awkward evening here because rain was always looming around the corner, but I do think the Ireland hangover was there a bit. So, India decided, 'let's not chase and bat first'," said Karthik as quoted by Hindustan Times.

The decision initially appeared to backfire as India slumped to 6/2 inside the first two overs, with Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan falling cheaply to the new ball. However, Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek Sharma led a superb recovery with attacking half-centuries, helping India post a competitive 189/7 before persistent rain washed out England's chase.

Under intense scrutiny after scoring just 13 runs across two matches during the disappointing Ireland series, the newly appointed T20I captain responded in style. Iyer anchored India's recovery with a composed 68 off 47 balls. the highest score of the innings, a knock that Karthik described as crucial in establishing his authority as captain.

"He wanted to get rid of the pressure, so he batted nicely. He must have been under pressure, because as a leader, you need to walk the talk with the bat first, and he knew that. The skipper needed to put his hand up and say, 'I am the skipper, I will get the runs', and he did it quite nicely," said Karthik.

While Iyer returned to form with a crucial innings, Samson endured another disappointing outing. Tilak Varma also failed to make a significant impact, further intensifying calls for the inclusion of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI. Despite the growing pressure, Karthik supported the team management's decision to persist with wicketkeeper-batter for the series opener, stressing the importance of backing experienced players through difficult phases.

"Sanju Samson has, once again, had a bit of a failure. Three innings on the bounce means the calls are coming nice and loud for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but I still hope they back someone like Sanju Samson, because, under pressure, in the T20 World Cup, a few months ago, he got the job done, so we have to back him. Vaibhav needs to earn the right to play in this XI even though he is extremely talented, and I have no doubt he is going to do very well in international cricket,” said Karthik.