india captain Shreyas Iyer He refused to reveal whether teenage batting star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will make his debut in the T20I opener against England on Wednesday and stressed that the player who helped India win the T20 World Cup deserves continued support. Ever since the 15-year-old Soriyavanshi was named in the Indian squad for the tours of Ireland and England, speculation about his selection has been mounting. However, making his debut may require India to split their successful opening partnership Sanzhou Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Addressing the media on the eve of the series opener, Iyer said the team management’s priority is to provide stability and confidence to the current squad. “You see, all the players in the team are doing well, it’s not just one person who is doing well. “But we have to create opportunities and security so that everyone feels confident going into the tournament. The players who won the last World Cup definitely know how to play T20s and they have been the mainstay of the format, so it’s important to support them.” When directly asked if Sooryavanshi would be in the starting XI, Iyer chose not to reveal the team’s plans. “You never know what’s going to happen. We don’t know what to do at the moment. It’s a very personal thing. “It’s something we discuss in the team. We can’t let everyone know what combination we’re going to play and let the opponents know it’s going to happen. He’s a prodigy and every time he gets a chance to play, he’s definitely going to do an outstanding job.” The India skipper also dismissed suggestions that the team was under external pressure to debut the youngster. “I didn’t see anything like that. Really, I don’t know. I don’t follow the news or what’s going on on social media. I didn’t hear anything.”
Iyer reflects on Ireland’s setbacks
Iyer also reflected on India’s recent 2-0 loss to Ireland in the T20I series, admitting the result was disappointing but insisting it provided valuable lessons. “It’s not embarrassing but it’s frustrating for us because we definitely didn’t expect Ireland to play that well. “They outclassed us in every aspect, they had a brilliant idea of ​​the dimensions of the pitch, whereas we were poor at analyzing and planning the pitch and dimensions and how to take wickets.” He praised Ireland’s performance while expressing confidence in India moving forward. “Credit to them, but we learned a lot from this series. It’s a whole new chapter for us coming here. “Some of us have played in England before and we understand the conditions (and) the scale here. So, expect a tight and challenging series.”
Situation in Belfast catches India off guard
Iyer said India’s inability to adapt quickly to Belfast’s unique conditions led to the chain’s losses. “(In) Belfast we didn’t start playing until many years later. “That’s not the reason (for the series defeat), but I’m just saying that we (also) were a little short on reading the outfield (in terms of) adapting to the wickets (and) conditions.” He described the pitch as different from what Indian players are used to. “The pitch in Belfast is definitely not a stadium. The outfield is a bit slow and uneven. The dimensions are a bit boxy too. “As a captain, for me, when setting up the pitch, it felt a bit strange because we are not used to it. We are playing in the IPL and all the pitches are perfect even from all directions. So, it is a bit challenging.” Iyer believes the situation in England will be more familiar. “Here (England) the dimensions are very similar but the ground is flat and you get the stadium atmosphere and the crowd is intense. We’ve played in these conditions before, in these situations. So, yes, (we’re) trying to do that.”
“I trust my gut”
Despite the modest returns in the Ireland series, Iyer said he remains confident in his batting. “The way I timed the ball when it went into the net, even in the last game I thought I timed it really well, it was just the odd ball that bounced up and took the inside edge. “That’s not a testament to how well I hit the ball or how much pressure I was under. I definitely trust my instincts. I know how well I play under pressure.”
