India captain Shreyas Iyer has insisted he is ready to embrace the challenges of leading the national T20I side, saying he always believed the opportunity would come after consistent performances for both his IPL franchise and the country. Iyer, who was appointed India’s new T20I captain in place of Suryakumar Yadav, endured a difficult start to his tenure as India suffered a 2-0 series defeat to Ireland in Belfast. However, ahead of the five-match T20I series against England, the skipper remains focused on learning from the experience while building a fresh identity for the team. “Honestly speaking, it’s not outlandish. I was expecting it at some point of time. I have done brilliant in the previous IPL tournaments, whenever I have represented the country. So, it did not come to me as a surprise. But, at the same time, I feel it’s a great opportunity for me to learn from everyone around who has been part of the T20 World Cup-winning squad, the team management, support staff and also a few individuals who have played,” Iyer told BCCI.TV. The 31-year-old admitted that captaining India is the fulfilment of a childhood dream and described the responsibility as one of the proudest moments of his career. “As a kid, you always dreamt of playing for the Indian team. Now, you get the opportunity to lead the Indian team. I think it’s an icing on the cake. It means a world,” he said. Reflecting on the journey that earned him the leadership role, Iyer credited the support system around him while acknowledging the hard work behind his rise. “It’s definitely the result of hard work that you have put in and the support you have received from fans, family and friends. It’s hard to explain the feelings in words.” Iyer also outlined the aggressive brand of cricket he wants his team to play, saying he hopes to instil a fearless mindset that puts opponents under pressure from the moment India steps onto the field. “I just like to be menacing to the opponents. I want to have that aggressive, fearless approach when I step on the field. I want my troops to rally around that mindset where the opponents are a bit intimidated by our personality and appearance on the field. It’s like a war for me when I step on the field. I want to win every match and that’s the mindset I want to imbibe in each and every individual. “Relentless, ruthless and determined. No pressure, but at the same time, it’s going to be challenging. All I want to do is embrace the challenge. I want it to be challenging, because I thrive under pressure,” he said. Speaking about head coach Gautam Gambhir‘s message to the squad, Iyer revealed that the team is treating this phase as the beginning of a new chapter despite India’s recent T20 World Cup triumph. “Gauti bhai mentioned in one of his interviews that we were world champions. This is a new paragraph which starts altogether where I am the leader of the team and we are starting from zero again.” The captain also reflected on India’s disappointing tour of Ireland, admitting the results fell short of expectations but insisting the series offered valuable lessons, especially for players experiencing English and Irish conditions for the first time. “Definitely not the start we wanted, but a lot to learn coming into new conditions. Majority of players playing first time in England and Ireland as well, so it’s a learning curve for them as well. Also we have to build that camaraderie where each and everyone starts supporting and trusting each other again.” India’s batting struggled throughout the Ireland series, with the top order failing to provide solid starts in either match. However, the bowling attack showed encouraging signs, particularly through debutant Prince Yadav, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. With England presenting a significantly tougher challenge, Iyer will now look to register his first series win as India’s T20I captain while implementing the fearless and relentless brand of cricket he believes can take the team forward.
