‘Starting again from scratch’: Shreyas Iyer reveals Gautam Gambhir’s message

Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir (X-BCCI) India captain Shreyas Iyer insisted he is ready to take on the challenges of leading the national T20I side and said he always believed the opportunity would come after consistent performances for both his IPL franchise and the country. Iyer, who was named India’s new T20I captain in place of Suryakumar Yadav, endured a tough 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 new identity for the team. “Honestly, it’s nothing special. I expected it at some point. I’ve done great in previous IPL tournaments whenever I represented the country. So it didn’t surprise me. 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, who’s been part of the T20 team, who’s been part of the World Cup-winning team in T20 and also the support of the team.” he told BCCI.TV. The 31-year-old admitted that becoming India’s captain was a childhood dream come true and described the responsibility as one of the proudest moments of his career. “As a kid, you always dreamed of playing for the Indian team. Now you have the opportunity to lead the Indian team. I think it’s the icing on the cake. It means the world,” he said. Reflecting on the journey that landed him in the leadership role, Iyer credited the support system around him while acknowledging the hard work behind his rise. “It’s definitely a result of the hard work you’ve put into it and the support you’ve received from fans, family and friends. It’s hard to put that feeling into words.” Iyer also outlined the aggressive brand of cricket he wants his team to play, saying he hopes to instill a fearless mindset that will put the opposition under pressure from the moment India step on the field. “I want to be a threat to opponents. I want to have that aggressive, fearless attitude when I step on the field. I want my soldiers to come together with a mindset where opponents are a little intimidated by our personality and appearance on the field. When I step on the field, it’s like a war for me. I want to win every game and that’s the mindset I want to instill in every individual.” “Relentless, ruthless and determined. No pressure, but at the same time it will be challenging. All I want is to accept the challenge. I want it to be challenging because I thrive under pressure,” he said. Talking about head coach Gautam Gambhir’s message to the team, Iyer revealed that the team sees this stage 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 the world champions. This is a new paragraph that starts right where I am the team leader and we start again from scratch.” The skipper 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. “It certainly wasn’t the start we wanted, but we have a lot to learn in new conditions. Most of the players are playing for the first time in England and Ireland, so it’s a learning curve for them too. We also have to build camaraderie where everyone starts to support and trust each other again.” The Indian batting has struggled throughout the Ireland series, with the top order failing to make solid starts in both matches. However, the bowling attack showed encouraging signs, especially through debutant Prince Yadav, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. With England posing a significantly tougher challenge, Iyer will now look to register his first series win as India’s T20I captain while implementing a fearless and relentless brand of cricket that he believes can take the team forward.