It is important to overcome the fear of defeat… We will have to play fearlessly in Zimbabwe, Shreyas Iyer’s challenge

Harare. Indian captain Shreyas Iyer wants his team players to play cricket fearlessly and not come under the pressure of criticism. He said that the disappointing results of the England tour have brought the team closer ahead of the three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe. The Indian team could not register a single win in the limited overs tour against England and Ireland. However, Iyer said that the team has identified its weaknesses and is working on improvements.

On the eve of the first T20 International against Zimbabwe, Shreyas Iyer said, ‘Our time in England was difficult, but many positive things also came out of it. We came to know what we need to prepare as a team to move forward, what kind of mentality, awareness and attitude we need to adapt to the circumstances after coming on the field.

The series against England and Ireland was also Iyer’s first tour as captain. Iyer, who is visiting Zimbabwe for the first time, said that the biggest challenge will be to adapt to the conditions in a short time. He said, ‘Some of our players are playing here for the first time, so the sooner we understand the conditions, the better results we will be able to achieve.’

Iyer told the young players of the team that despite the recent criticism, they should play without the fear of failure. He said, ‘I don’t think they should be afraid of failure. When you have such thoughts in your mind, you play to protect yourself. When there is no fear, you can perform at your best. We should not think too much about what people are saying outside. We have to focus on the present. The better cricket we play and the better we perform as a unit, the better it will be for the team.

The captain admitted that the situation of reaching Zimbabwe straight from England and playing the match after only one practice session is quite challenging. He said, ‘It is definitely very challenging. We reached here yesterday, today is practice and tomorrow is the match. But it’s also fun. If you perform well in such circumstances, you will definitely feel proud of yourself.

Iyer said that the foreign tours of Ireland, England and now Zimbabwe have given the team a lot of experience. He said, ‘The results were not in our favor, but this has brought the team closer to each other. We have been discussing a lot about how to play as a unit going forward. Such an experience does not come often. This is a challenging phase and the sooner you come out of it, the better team you become.

Thirty-one-year-old Iyer praised the Zimbabwe team and said that it is a competitive team and many of its players also have IPL experience. He said, ‘Their team is great and their lineup is good. Some of their players have also played IPL, so they have a lot of experience. Regarding his comeback from injury, Iyer said that the period of ‘rehabilitation’ made him mentally strong. He said, ‘It has filled me with more confidence as a player. When you come out of the injury phase, you become mentally very positive. The confidence to deal with any challenge on the field increases.