Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer welcomes pressure as India face Afghanistan in quarter-finals

India didn’t have the smoothest run into the Asian Games quarter-finals against Afghanistan, with relentless rain disrupting preparations and their last match practice coming in game five against Japan. But Shreyas Iyer doesn’t want the circumstances to dilute expectations around his team.

The Indian women have already secured gold in Nagoya, while the men now begin the knockout stage with pressure to meet that standard. However, Iyer sees this expectation differently and believes it is the kind of pressure the Indian team should want as the stakes rise.

“There’s always an expectation to finish on top for India and that’s a good pressure. When there’s an expectation you want to live up to it, but at the same time I think we shouldn’t think too much about the result. The standard we’ve set for ourselves as a team should be exceeded in every game.”

Afghanistan may be a familiar opponent, with India sweeping their recent T20I series 3-0, but Iyer sees no reason to take Monday’s quarter-final lightly. A rain-hit match against Japan, which India won by just two runs after being reduced to five overs a side, was a reminder of how quickly conditions can change the balance of a game.

“Not only Afghanistan, even Japan has given us good competition recently. The wicket here is not set according to a specific standard, so adaptation is very important. It will be challenging and difficult for every team.”

RAIN WILL NOT BE AN EXCUSE

Torrential rain has plagued Nagoya for the past two days, leaving India with limited opportunities to practice properly ahead of the knockout stage. However, Iyer has tried hard to keep the focus away from what India have failed to do and what they can still control.

“We can’t give a reason for the rain because we are a bunch of professionals. Such obstacles keep coming and mentally we have to be ready no matter what the situation will be.”

India tried to make the most of whatever windows the weather offered them and the players had time to knock, warm up and bowl work despite the conditions.

“It’s not just normal rain, it’s a torrential downpour. But we were still able to maximize our warm-up and get the feel of the stadium, breathe the fresh air, and we also hit the turf a little bit even though it was raining. The pitchers did some steps in the background. So we’re trying to maximize the best we can.”

Iyer also enjoyed the experience of being part of the wider Asian Games environment, especially the discipline surrounding the event. India spent time in Tokyo before playing Japan and despite limited training sessions, the players took time to get to know the city.

“I really liked the discipline. People follow the instructions. We were in Tokyo, we played a match against Japan and we didn’t have too much training, so we explored the place a bit. It was a good experience.”

As cricket continues to grow on the multi-sport scene and is set to return to the Olympics, Iyer believes every opportunity to play is important, especially for a team trying to maintain its standards in a variety of conditions.

“Every match is important because every match gives us practice. As cricket grows, competition grows and it’s good for cricket overall. The more opportunities we get to play matches, the better. So we’ll have to keep our fitness and mindset good.”

India now has little room for the uncertainty that accompanied them during the build-up. Afghanistan stand between them and a place in the semi-finals, with the knockout stages likely to require a very different level of control than the five-point scramble against Japan. For Iyer and his team, that expectation is no longer up for debate. Now that’s something he has to play with.

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