‘You never know’: Shreyas Iyer’s cryptic response to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut
India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Getty Images) India captain Shreyas Iyer refused to reveal whether teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would make his international debut in the opening T20I against England on Wednesday, stressing that the players who helped India win the T20 World Cup deserve continued support. Speculation about Sooryavanshi’s inclusion has been mounting ever since the 15-year-old was named in the Indian squads for the tour of Ireland and England. However, handing him a debut would probably require India to split their successful opening partnership of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. On the eve of the series opener, Iyer told the media that the team management’s priority is to provide stability and confidence to the current group. “Look, all the players in the team performed well, it’s not like just one individual performed well. “But we have to build that opportunity and confidence so that every individual is confident going into the tournaments. The players who won the last World Cup definitely have an idea of how to play T20 and have been mainstays of the format all the time, so it’s very important to support them.” When asked directly if Sooryavanshi would feature in the playing eleven, Iyer chose not to reveal the team’s plans. “You never know what’s going to happen. Our hands are also tied at this point in terms of what we’re going to do. It’s very private.” “This is something we discuss in the team. We can’t let everybody know what combination we’re going to play and let the opposition know it’s going to happen. He’s a prodigy and whenever he gets a chance to play, he’s definitely going to do a brilliant (job).” The Indian skipper also dismissed suggestions that there was external pressure on the team to hand the youngster his debut. “I don’t see anything like that. Really, I don’t know. I don’t even follow the news, I don’t follow what’s happening on social media. I haven’t heard anything.”
Iyer reflects on Ireland’s failure
Iyer also looked back at India’s recent 0-2 T20I series defeat to Ireland and admitted the result was disappointing but insisted it had yielded valuable lessons. “It wasn’t embarrassing but it was depressing for us because we certainly didn’t expect Ireland to play so well. “They outplayed us in every department, they had great ideas about pitch dimensions and we fell short in terms of analyzing and planning the ground and the dimensions and how the goal was going to be played. He praised Ireland for their performance while expressing his belief that India had progressed. “It’s a credit, but we learned a lot from that series. It’s a whole new chapter for us coming here.” “A few of us have played in England before and we know the conditions here (and) the dimensions. So we’re looking forward to an intense and challenging series.”
Conditions in Belfast took India by surprise
According to Iyer, India’s inability to adapt quickly to the unique conditions in Belfast contributed to the series loss. “(In) Belfast we played after so many years. “It’s not a reason (for the series loss), but I’m just saying that (in) acclimatizing to the wicket (and) the conditions, we were a little behind, (also) in terms of reading the field.” He described the venue as different from the ground Indian players are used to. “The Belfast pitch was definitely not a stadium. The outfield was a bit slow and it wasn’t even. The dimensions were also a bit boxy. “As a captain as well, it felt a bit strange for me (when) setting the pitch because we’re not used to it. We played in the IPL, all the pitches were perfectly level from all sides. So it was a bit challenging.” Iyer believes the conditions in England will be more familiar. “Here (England) the dimensions are quite similar but the ground is flat and you feel the atmosphere of the stadium, the crowd would be intense as well. We’ve played in those conditions before, in those situations. So yes, (we’re) going for it.”
“I trust my instincts”
Despite modest returns during the Ireland series, Iyer said he remains confident in his own batting. “The way I time the ball in the nets, even in the previous game, I thought I was timing it great, only the odd ball bounced and got an inside edge. “That doesn’t excuse my batting or how much pressure I put on. I definitely trust my instincts. I know how well I play under pressure.”