Shreyas Iyer asserted that despite India's T20I series defeats against Ireland and England, there were a lot of positives that emerged and it will benefit the team going forward.
Since Iyer took over the reins from Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I skipper, the Men in Blue have lost six out of the seven matches they played, two against Ireland and four against England. The three-time T20 World Cup champions will look to redeem themselves when they take on Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series at the Harare
Sports Club this week.
"We had a rough patch in England, but there were a lot of positives out of that. We got to know what we have to build as a team going forward, what kind of presence of mind, awareness and adaptability we need once we step onto the field," Iyer said on the eve of Thursday's first T20I.
The 31-year-old said that it is important for the Indian players, especially the ones who are touring Zimbabwe for the first time, to get accustomed to the conditions.
"Some of us are playing here for the first time, so the quicker we adapt, the better results we will get," the Mumbai batter said.
Iyer also stated that the disappointing results in Ireland and England have brought his players closer to each other and hoped that they would be able to bounce back strongly from the debacle.
"The results didn't go our way, but that has brought the team closer to each other. We've been having a lot of discussions about how we're going to play as a unit going forward, especially against Zimbabwe right now. We've had three series outside India, and it's a great exposure for us as a team because you don't get this often. This is a challenging phase, and the quicker you overcome it, the better you become as a team and the results will eventually follow," Iyer mentioned.
When you don't have that fear, you can get the best out of yourself: Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer explained why fear of failure can be detrimental to India's chances. He also urged his players to refrain from adhering to outside noise and focus on playing good cricket and performing as a unit.
"I don't think they should fear failure because when you have such thoughts at the back of your mind, then you play to save yourself. When you don't have that fear, you can get the best out of yourself. We don't have to think much about what people are saying outside. We have to stay in the present. The more we play good cricket and play together as a unit, the better it will be for the team," Iyer stated.
