‘You have to wait’: Shreyas Iyer explains why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi missed all 5 T20Is against West Indies

Shreyas Iyer and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi India captain Shreyas Iyer has backed young batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to remain patient and continue working on his game despite not getting a chance to play in the five-match T20I series against the West Indies. The series ended in a 2-2 draw after the fifth game was abandoned in rain-plagued Bengaluru.Sooryavanshi did not start in any of the five matches. His last appearance for India was in the final of the Asian Games against Pakistan. In eight T20Is, the youngster scored 246 runs at a strike rate of 186, including two half-centuries.India continued to rely on veteran openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma throughout the series. Samson scored 168 runs in five matches while Abhishek added 145 runs. Both the batsmen scored two half-centuries, leaving Sooryavanshi struggling to find a place in the playing eleven.

Iyer advises Sooryavanshi to remain patient

Speaking after the fifth T20I, Iyer explained that he encouraged Sooryavanshi to trust his preparation and stay relaxed rather than fret over missing opportunities.“I keep telling him (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi), you will get your opportunities. If you are consistent with your process, you will be a bit lighter and not think too much about not getting an opportunity…you have to wait sometimes. We have two fantastic openers who have been consistent throughout,” the skipper said.

Iyer reflects on India’s performance

Iyer said that India could have done better in the series if the bowlers had performed more effectively in the second and fourth matches where they conceded more than 240 runs. Despite the bowling issues, he praised the team’s batting and acknowledged West Indies’ strong performances.“It could have been different (series score) if we had played well in games 2 and 4. The batting was sensational, we didn’t get the execution. Credit where it’s due, they batted phenomenally well. Kudos to Shai Hope; he was great. The ability to bounce back from a loss (among the big pluses). We couldn’t be consistent. We even had a great learning session today so our batting was outstanding. to be in New Zealand now challenging series,” he signed.West Indies captain Shai Hope was named player of the series after scoring 261 runs in four innings, including two centuries and a half-century, in a 190-plus strike.In the rain-shortened fifth match, India posted an entertaining total after being asked to bat first. Ishan Kishan smashed 30 runs off just 10 balls while Naman Dhir remained unbeaten on 24 off six deliveries. West Indies bowlers Shamar Springer and Keemo Paul took two wickets each.