'In today's cricket, that is a crime' - Maninder Singh slams Ravi Bishnoi after India's defeat to England in 2nd T20I

Former India spinner Maninder Singh did not hold back in his criticism of Ravi Bishnoi following India's four-wicket defeat to England in the second T20I at Old Trafford, Manchester. The former cricketer believed India were in complete control of the contest before Bishnoi's expensive 17th over turned the game in England's favour.

Defending a target of 191, India had kept the hosts under pressure for most of the chase. However, Bishnoi's 17th over yielded 29 runs, including costly no-balls, allowing England to seize the momentum and eventually complete the chase with an over to spare.

Speaking after the match, Maninder expressed his disappointment over India's performance and questioned the role of the coaching staff in addressing such basic errors.

"It was very disappointing, because till the 16th over I felt that this game was in India's pocket. But the way Bishnoi put in the 17th over and the way he bowled no-balls, cutting the side line, I feel that the coaching staff with the team, it is their job to help him," he was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.

The former left-arm spinner stressed that no-balls can prove extremely costly in the shortest format and blamed the expensive over as the turning point of the match.

"When bowlers are practising in the nets, the bowling coach isn't paying enough attention to their positioning or whether they might bowl a no-ball during a match. In today's cricket, I consider bowling a no-ball a crime. We lost the match because of the 29 runs Bishnoi conceded in the 17th over," he continued. 

England made full use of the momentum gained during that over to chase down the target and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.

Maninder backs Shreyas Iyer despite poor start as T20I captain

While he criticised India's bowling, Maninder threw his support behind newly appointed T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, saying the skipper simply needs more time to settle into the role.

The former India spinner pointed out that Iyer enjoyed the advantage of working with a settled group during his stint with Punjab Kings in the IPL, whereas he has had little time to build similar chemistry with the national side.

"His first win will come. As captain of PBKS, he knows his players very well because they hold a long camp before every IPL, which allows him to get to know everyone. He hasn't had that kind of time here, but he is a captain with a good head on his shoulders who thinks really well. His winning streak will come; he knows how to motivate the boys. Once he has a team of his choice, it will start to make a difference," he concluded.

With England leading the series 1-0 after the rain-hit opener ended without a result, India will now look to bounce back in the third T20I at Trent Bridge and level the five-match series.