Shreyas Iyer backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to dominate Indian cricket, reveals T20I captaincy mindset

Shreyas Iyer has settled into his role as India’s T20I captain and is now looking to build a team that plays with freedom and confidence. With India preparing for the five-match T20I series against the West Indies, Iyer has made it clear that he wants his players to trust their natural game rather than worry about outside expectations.

Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Follow the Blues: Sarpanch Shreyas’, Iyer spoke about his conversations with teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and his leadership style, batting approach, plans for the series.

Shreyas Iyer backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Iyer also spoke warmly about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and revealed that his conversations with the youngster are not always about cricket.

“I keep interacting with Vaibhav in terms of what he does outside the field, because everyone talks to him about cricket, and we know how talented and gifted as an individual he is. So, just to talk about his lifestyle outside, that interaction, knowing about his family, what he does, what not, that excites him more because he’s more of himself when he talks about it. And a very silent guy, but on the field, is very destructive. So, that’s like an irony when you look at him. He’s a very charming, sweet guy to interact with and good to have him around the dressing room. And I know that his time will come, because we have been playing with World Cup-winning openers right now, and they deserve the time out there and he’s still in the 15. So definitely, when his time comes, he is going to dominate Indian cricket.”

Shreyas Iyer wants India players to trust their instincts

For Iyer, the biggest part of building a strong T20I side is creating an environment where players are not afraid of making mistakes. The captain wants his young team to express themselves and back their abilities when they walk onto the field.

“We want players to be more liberal, more expressive in terms of being fearless out there and not restrict their instincts. Because when you curb your instincts, your natural abilities are not portrayed out there. So, I feel that we have to back ourselves more than what the expectations are from outside. Because as a team, you know what is going on inside the team, what kind of mindset players are around. So, through thick and thin, you’ve got to support each other and see to it that when the tough time comes, everyone has got each other’s back.”

Iyer explains his aggressive batting mindset

The India captain also opened up about how he approaches his own batting. Iyer said he likes to read the situation before deciding how aggressively he needs to play, especially during the powerplay.

“I love to play the situation. If I’m going into bat in the powerplay, I want to capitalise on the field restrictions which you have in the powerplay. So, I am someone who likes to go against the bowlers when the chips are down, because that’s when the offensive game comes in. That’s my mindset that has been right from the start, since the time I started playing for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. And once I get in, I see to it that I create a platform for the batters coming after me. And if I keep continuing, then I know I can take down the bowlers left, right, and centre.”

Iyer also explained how he studies the field and the bowler’s plans before taking control of an innings.

“I check around the field and see what kind of tactics they are plotting against me. Sometimes bowlers, they love to bluff and they like to get on top of you. They get aggressive at the start, especially in the one-day format. They want wickets. And even if I would be fielding as a captain or a vice-captain, I would be wanting wickets, so I would be right into the batsman. So that’s when I love to capitalise on that, to shift the momentum towards me and see to it that I am playing the ball, I am playing the field, I am manipulating everything around me.”

Winning the series comes before experimenting

Iyer also made his priority clear ahead of the West Indies series. While India will continue to look at different combinations, the captain believes results must come first.

“The most important thing for me is to win the series, and then we can experiment with the playing combination. Experimenting from the start doesn’t make sense because then the players also get insecure, and then they start questioning themselves, questioning others around the dressing room. And then they go in that dilemma phase where they feel like, ‘Will I get a match ahead or will I not get one?’ I don’t like that mindset. I’ve been in that mindset in the past, and I know how it feels from inside.”