India batter Shreyas Iyer said that the team management is focused on planning for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia and hence is trying to execute the said plans in the bilateral T20I matches after India suffered a second straight loss to South Africa to go 0-2 in the five-match series.
Chasing 149 for the win, Heinrich Klassen took the game away from India with a 46-ball 81 as South Africa romped home with four wickets to spare to go 2-0 up in the five-match series at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
For India, Shreyas made 40, Ishan Kishan made 34, and Dinesh Karthik made 30* to take India to 148 in 20 overs.
IND v SA 2022: Shreyas Iyer explains Team India’s decision to send Akshar Patel over Dinesh Karthik
"Our main aim is obviously the World Cup, so we have to see to it that we plan towards it. So we have that sort of mindset where we are completely free and not thinking about anything else. These are the actual games where we can practice what we were lacking in the past. That's what we keep discussing in the team meeting as well. No matter what happens, whatever plans we discuss in the team meeting, we have to execute those. Even if we fail, we will learn from that and grow as a player and grow as a team. So that's more important till we reach Australia," Shreyas said in the post-match press conference.
"We have made this plan that we will keep going no matter what happens. Even if we keep losing wickets, it's our gameplan and in the future too, we will go in with the same mindset. We will back ourselves and back our instincts,” he added.
The third T20I, a must-win match for India to stay alive in the series will be played in Visakhapatnam on June 13, 2022.
(ANI inputs)