NEW DELHI: Captain India Shreyas Iyer he believes his Whites team’s disappointment in England and Ireland laid the foundation for future success, insisting the difficult phase brought the team closer ahead of the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe.After enduring a winless campaign in England and Ireland in what was Iyer’s first stint as India’s T20I captain, the visitors will be looking to turn the page when they take on Zimbabwe in the opening T20I on Thursday.Rather than dwelling on setbacks, Iyer said the challenging tour offered valuable lessons about the team’s mindset, adaptability and decision-making under pressure.“We had a tough spell in England but there were a lot of positives from it. We knew what we have to build as a team going forward, what kind of presence of mind, awareness and adaptability we need once we go on the field,” Iyer said on the eve of the series opener.
“Don’t fear failure”
With India looking to bounce back immediately, Iyer encouraged his young team to embrace an attack mentality instead of worrying about criticism or the fear of failure.“I don’t think they should fear failure because when you have such thoughts in the back of your mind, then you play to save yourself. When you don’t have that fear, you can get the best of yourself,” said the skipper.“We don’t need to think 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,” he added.The captain added that the difficult results only strengthened the bond in the dressing room.“The results didn’t go our way, but that brought the team closer to each other. We’ve had a lot of discussions about how we’re going to play as a unit going forward. It’s great exposure because you don’t get that often. This is a challenging phase, and the faster you overcome it, the better you will become as a team,” Iyer said.
Quick recovery, new challenge
India have had little time to regroup after traveling straight from England, with just one practice session before the opening match in Zimbabwe.Calling the schedule demanding but exciting, Iyer backed his team to adapt quickly to unfamiliar conditions.“It’s definitely very challenging. We came yesterday, today is practice and tomorrow is the match. But it’s fun, and if you do well in these situations, you’ll definitely be happy with yourself,” said the new captain.The 31-year-old, touring Zimbabwe for the first time, acknowledged that adjusting quickly would be crucial.“Some of us are playing here for the first time, so the faster we adapt, the better results we will have,” he added.Iyer also warned against underestimating Zimbabwe, praising the hosts for having an experienced squad with several players who have featured in the IPL.“They have an amazing team and a good lineup. A couple of them have even played in the IPL, so they bring immense experience,” he said.