After leading the Indian team to a 3-0 T20I series sweep against Zimbabwe, captain Shreyas Iyer praised the team's young players' passion and tenacity, noting that their desire to take advantage of every chance was what propelled the turnaround.
Speaking after winning his first series as India's T20I captain, Iyer described how the country's developing core—led by young players like Mayank Yadav and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi—helped them bounce back from series losses to England and Ireland.
Iyer had suffered six successive losses at the beginning of his captaincy tenure—two against Ireland and four against England—before his team rebounded with three straight victories to clinch a clean sweep against Zimbabwe.
"I feel when you step out on the field, you could see that hunger in all these youngsters who want to represent the team. They know how the competition is back in India. So, whenever they step on, they want to see to it that they contribute to the best of their abilities and see to it that they win matches,” Iyer said in a BCCI video.
The captain claimed that this hunger resulted in significant performances throughout the series, with several young players standing up at pivotal times. Iyer singled out Mayank Yadav for praise and stated that his ability to absorb instructions and execute plans impressed his captain.
"Mayank, I feel that his approach and his attitude were a standout in this tournament. I interacted with him during the match, and for every ball, he was asking me what I should do. And the best thing about him was that he was able to execute whatever we decided. So, that's very heartening to see,” he added.
Iyer also highlighted how Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s aggressive starts gave India early momentum, allowing the middle order to build on solid foundations.
"With Vaibhav, we know what he can bring to the table. Especially the starts, which he gave in almost both games, which were very crucial as a team. He set the rhythm for us, and then Ishan came in, and Tilak came in. You know, contributions from every individual win you matches. So, today was another opportunity for us, and we seized it,” he mentioned.
Iyer claimed that the team's collective effort demonstrated the internal norms the team had established rather than a concern with outcomes after observing several players take responsibility during the three games.
"It's a very special feeling; I can't mention it in words. Representing the country and winning the first series, it's something that you always dream of as a player, and I personally feel that as a team we had set a standard for ourselves, rather than thinking much about the outcome, and it pretty well worked for us,” Iyer concluded.
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(IANS inputs)
