Shreyas Iyer's T20I captaincy stint got off to a rough start in Ireland.
The opening leg of the UK tour proved incredibly difficult for Team India. Under Shreyas Iyer's maiden T20I captaincy assignment, the Men in Blue suffered two shocking defeats at the hands of Ireland in Belfast.
The reigning world T20 champions will now look to turn things around in a five-match T20I series against England, starting at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday (July 1).
Ahead of the England series, Shreyas admitted that losing to Ireland wasn't the start they wanted. He emphasized that adapting to unfamiliar overseas conditions and building strong camaraderie and trust through regular match time are crucial for the team's growth.
"Definitely not the start that we wanted, but a lot to learn, coming into new conditions, majority of the players playing for the first time in England and Ireland, so it's a learning curve for them as well. And also we have to build that camaraderie where each and everyone starts supporting and trusting each other and that will only come through the more amount of matches we play," Iyer said on BCCI.tv.
He demanded his team to play with an aggressive, menacing, and fearless mindset, treating every match like "war" to physically and mentally intimidate the opposition.
"I just like to be menacing to the opponents. I want to have that aggressive, fearless approach when I step onto the field. I want my troops to rally around that mindset where the opponents are a bit intimidated by our personality, by our appearance on the field. And this is what I want each and every individual in the team to think about because it's like a war for me when I step onto the field. I want to win every match and that's the mindset I want to imbibe in each and every individual representing the country and wanting us to challenge the opponents as well," Iyer added.
Despite India securing the last two T20 World Cup titles, Shreyas Iyer stressed the team is beginning a new journey.
"I think Gauti bhai mentioned in one of his interviews that we were world champions. This is a new paragraph which starts altogether where I am the leader of the team and we are starting from zero again," he stated.
The Indian T20I skipper also opened up on the support he has received from Rohit Sharma and predecessor Suryakumar Yadav.
"Interacting with Rohit Sharma, it's like you're just having a chat with your brother. He's that sort of a figure who has also helped me in my domestic career. So it's always been easy to interact with him," Iyer said.
"And Surya (Suryakumar Yadav), again, similar character. I've played with him a lot of domestic cricket and just before coming here he gave me inputs about how the management is going to be, how the players are going to be in this certain situation. So yes, definitely decent interaction and a lot to learn at the same time," he remarked.
Shreyas Iyer also expressed his gratitude to the doctors who helped him recover from the serious spell injury he sustained during the Australia tour last year.
“An injury can make you realise how quickly life can change. I’m deeply grateful to the doctors and medical teams who helped me return to health, strength and the sport I love,” Iyer said.
“They stood by me during one of the most challenging phases of my life. Dedicating my second birth date to healthcare professionals is my tribute to the people who made my comeback possible,” he concluded.