You’ve got to stay in the present – Shreyas Iyer after India’s defeat against Ireland
India stuttered to their first defeat against Ireland in the history of T20I cricket as their batters suffered a collapse in the middle. As Belfast witnessed the start of a new era for Team India in the shortest format of the game under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, it got all awry for the Men in Blue.
Talking at the post-match presentation, the Indian captain opened up on the flow of the game and how the Indian bowlers looked in control initially with the ball moving around. He also shed light on the conditions in Belfast and heaped praise on Harshit Rana and Shivam
Dube for their bowling spells. Rana registered figures of 3/24 while Shivam Dube concluded with 1/18 from his three overs.
Explaining India’s bowling and where the match flipped, Iyer said, “I think initially, the bowlers were bowling well. They got lateral movement, and they got a couple of wickets as well. So we got a tremendous start, but in between, we lost execution. We made them hit straight down the ground, where we know that the dimensions are pretty small. But then, yeah, the bowlers, when we had to shut down the overs, they were brilliant as well. So I thought 140 would have been
an amazing score considering the start that we got to chase. But nonetheless, it’s a great experience over here. We got to play in these conditions, got a fair idea about the wicket, and yeah, great start as a captain.”
Highlighting if being away from T20I cricket played its part, Iyer stated, “Yes, definitely. We’re going to forget what’s happened. Definitely a lot to learn from this game and see to it that we come out in the next game all guns blazing.”
Talking about the bowling spells of Harshit Rana and Shivam Dube, Iyer added, “Yes, certainly. They were getting help up front at the start, and Shivam, he has bowled crucial overs in the past. So I always back him, and I’ve played with him in the domestic circuit as well. I know
his strengths and weaknesses. And Harshit Rana, he bowled phenomenal. Coming out of an injury to perform at this level and showcase this sort of talent, it’s simply brilliant.”
He concluded by revealing the message to his team, stating, “I think you can’t take anything for granted. You can’t just turn up and win matches. You have to work hard and see to it that you’re in that moment. Like I mentioned earlier, you’ve got to stay in the present and see to it that if you’ve got that opportunity to squeeze the opponent, we’ve got to do that. And yeah, never take any moment or situation lightly.”
