Shreyas Iyer acknowledged Sooryavanshi's talent but emphasized that it's important to back players
Iyer remained tight-lipped over Sooryavanshi's debut but hinted towards going with the same opening combination as the Ireland series
The Indian T20 skipper also denied any dip in form and insisted that he's batting well in the nets, and the failures against Ireland were freaky dismissals
India captain Shreyas Iyer remained tightlipped over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's debut in the series opener against England to be played here on Wednesday, insisting it is important to back those players who won the T20 World Cup a few months ago.
While the clamour over Sooryavanshi’s debut has persistently followed the Indian camp ever since the teenager was named in the squads for the tours of Ireland and England, Iyer said it is crucial to have a secure environment for all players.
In order to bring in the 15-year-old batting sensation, India, in all likelihood, will have to break the successful opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
“Look, all the players in the team have performed well, it's not that only one individual has performed well,” Iyer told the reporters on the eve of the first T20I here on Tuesday.
“But we have to build that opportunity and security, so that each individual has confidence going forward into the tournaments. The players who have won the last World Cup, definitely have an idea of how to play T20, and continuously they have been the main pillars of that format so it's very important to back them,” Iyer said.
When asked specifically if Sooryavanshi was going to make his debut on Wednesday, Iyer again refused to divulge any information.
“You never know what is going to happen. Our hands are also tied at the moment in terms of what we are going to do. This is very private,” he said.
“This is something that we discuss in the team. We can't let everyone know about what combination we are going to play and let the opponents know that this is going to happen. He is a prodigy and whenever he gets an opportunity to play, definitely, he will do (a) brilliant (job).”
The India captain denied coming across any demands from the outside on giving Sooryavanshi a debut.
"I am not seeing anything as such. Really, I don't know. Neither do I follow news, nor do I follow what is going on in social media. I have not heard anything,” he said.
Iyer Termed Ireland Whitewash As Depressing
Iyer, who took over India captaincy before the Ireland tour, said the first-ever series loss to the Irish was a “depressing” one.
“It wasn't embarrassing, but it was depressing for us, because we definitely didn't expect Ireland to play that well,” he said.
“They outplayed us in every department, they had brilliant ideas about the dimensions of the ground, and we fell short in terms of analysing and planning the ground and the dimensions, and how the wicket would be played.” “Credit to them, but we learnt a lot from that series. This is a completely new chapter for us coming in here.”
He continued, “A couple of us have played in England before, and we know the conditions (and) the dimensions over here. So, looking forward for an intense and challenging series.”
Iyer acknowledged India failed to adapt to conditions in Ireland after losing the series 0-2.
"(At) Belfast, we played after so many years,” he said.
“It's not a reason (for series loss), but I'm just saying that (in) getting acclimatised to the wicket (and) to the conditions, we fell a bit short, (also) in terms of reading the outfield."
Iyer said the ground in Stormont had a peculiar layout to which the Indian team failed to adapt.
“The Belfast ground definitely wasn't a stadium. The outfield was a bit slow, and it wasn't even. The dimensions were also a bit squarish,” Iyer said.
“Also as a captain, for me (while) setting the field, it felt a bit outlandish, because we're not used to it. We were playing in the IPL, all the grounds were perfectly even from every direction. So, that was a bit challenging.” “Over here (England), the dimensions are pretty much similar, but the ground is flat, and you feel the stadium vibe, the crowd would be intense as well. We've played in such conditions, such situations before. So, yes, (we are) building into that,” he said.
Iyer Shrugs Off Concerns Over Form
Iyer said he is not concerned over his form after a couple of disappointing outings in Ireland.
“The way I'm timing the ball in the nets, even in the previous game, I thought I was timing brilliantly, just the odd the ball bounced and took an inner edge,” he said.
“That doesn't justify how my batting is or how much pressure I'm taking. I definitely believe in my instincts. I know how well I play under pressure.”
