Shreyas Iyer Celebrates First Win as India Captain

Shreyas Iyer praised his teammates’ zeal after India won 3-0 over Zimbabwe in the three-match T20I series that concluded last week.

The Mumbai-born athlete believes that players strive to give their utmost to help the Men in Blue win due to the competitive nature of Indian cricket. They are aware of how competitive the market is in India.

So, anytime they step on the pitch, they want to make the most of their ability and win matches’, Iyer said in a BCCI video.

After a 21-month break, Mayank Yadav returned to international cricket and got the most wickets in the series against Zimbabwe. He took five wickets with an economy rate of 6.55 in three games.

Shreyas praised Mayank’s play, citing his approach and mindset as a key factor in the competition. I chatted with him throughout the game, and with each ball, he asked me what I should do. The nicest thing about him was his ability to carry out our decisions. So that’s quite encouraging to see,” he said.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was another standout performer against the Chevrons. The 15-year-old was crowned Player of the Series after hitting two 50s in three games.

Shreyas Iyer explained that Sooryavanshi’s early innings were critical because he set the tempo for subsequent batsmen such as Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan.

“We know what Vaibhav can bring to the table. Especially the starts he delivered in practically two games, which were critical for the club. He set the rhythm for us, followed by Ishan and Tilak.

You are aware that individual contributions win matches. So this was another opportunity for us, and we took it,” he said.

Shreyas Iyer on winning his first series as captain: “It’s a very special feeling.”

Shreyas Iyer’s competence as an international cricket captain was called into doubt after successive losses against England and Ireland. But as he won his first series as captain, the right-handed hitter silenced his critics.

Shreyas Iyer described his feat as a dream come true. “It’s a very special feeling; I can’t mention it in words.” Representing the country and winning the first series is something every player dreams about.

And I personally believe that as a team, we set a benchmark for ourselves rather than focusing on the outcome, and it worked very well for us,” Shreyas Iyer said.