India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to dominate Indian cricket and explains his fearless approach ahead of the West Indies T20I series.
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/cricket/shreyas-iyer-backs-vaibhav-sooryavanshi-to-dominate-indian-cricket-reveals-t20i-captaincy-mindset-8532716/
Shreyas Iyer (R) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (L) (Photo: IANS)
Shreyas Iyer has settled into his role as India’s T20I captain and is now looking to build a team that plays with freedom and confidenceWith India preparing for the five-match T20I series against the West Indies, Iyer has made it clear that he wants his players to trust their natural game rather than worry about outside expectations.
Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Follow the Blues: Sarpanch Shreyas’, Iyer spoke about his conversations with teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and his leadership style, batting approach, plans for the series.
Read more:
IND Vs WI, 3rd ODI: India clinch series but Shai Hope’s century help visitors claim consolation win
Shreyas Iyer backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Iyer also spoke warmly about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and revealed that his conversations with the youngster are not always about cricket.
“I keep interacting with Vaibhav in terms of what he does outside the field, because everyone talks to him about cricket, and we know how talented and gifted as an individual he isSo, just to talk about his lifestyle outside, that interaction, knowing about his family, what he does, what not, that excites him more because he’s more of himself when he talks about itAnd a very silent guy, but on the field, is very destructiveSo, that’s like an irony when you look at himHe’s a very charming, sweet guy to interact with and good to have him around the dressing roomAnd I know that his time will come, because we have been playing with World Cup-winning openers right now, and they deserve the time out there and he’s still in the 15So definitely, when his time comes, he is going to dominate Indian cricket.”
Shreyas Iyer wants India players to trust their instincts
For Iyer, the biggest part of building a strong T20I side is creating an environment where players are not afraid of making mistakesThe captain wants his young team to express themselves and back their abilities when they walk onto the field.
“We want players to be more liberal, more expressive in terms of being fearless out there and not restrict their instinctsBecause when you curb your instincts, your natural abilities are not portrayed out thereSo, I feel that we have to back ourselves more than what the expectations are from outsideBecause as a team, you know what is going on inside the team, what kind of mindset players are aroundSo, through thick and thin, you’ve got to support each other and see to it that when the tough time comes, everyone has got each other’s back.”
Iyer explains his aggressive batting mindset
The India captain also opened up about how he approaches his own battingIyer said he likes to read the situation before deciding how aggressively he needs to play, especially during the powerplay.
“I love to play the situationIf I’m going into bat in the powerplay, I want to capitalise on the field restrictions which you have in the powerplaySo, I am someone who likes to go against the bowlers when the chips are down, because that’s when the offensive game comes inThat’s my mindset that has been right from the start, since the time I started playing for Mumbai in the Ranji TrophyAnd once I get in, I see to it that I create a platform for the batters coming after meAnd if I keep continuing, then I know I can take down the bowlers left, right, and centre.”
Iyer also explained how he studies the field and the bowler’s plans before taking control of an innings.
“I check around the field and see what kind of tactics they are plotting against meSometimes bowlers, they love to bluff and they like to get on top of youThey get aggressive at the start, especially in the one-day formatThey want wicketsAnd even if I would be fielding as a captain or a vice-captain, I would be wanting wickets, so I would be right into the batsmanSo that’s when I love to capitalise on that, to shift the momentum towards me and see to it that I am playing the ball, I am playing the field, I am manipulating everything around me.”
Winning the series comes before experimenting
Iyer also made his priority clear ahead of the West Indies seriesWhile India will continue to look at different combinations, the captain believes results must come first.
“The most important thing for me is to win the series, and then we can experiment with the playing combinationExperimenting from the start doesn’t make sense because then the players also get insecure, and then they start questioning themselves, questioning others around the dressing roomAnd then they go in that dilemma phase where they feel like, ‘Will I get a match ahead or will I not get one?’ I don’t like that mindsetI’ve been in that mindset in the past, and I know how it feels from inside.”
