India captain Shreyas Iyer refused to reveal whether teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will make his international debut in the opening T20I against England on Wednesday, stressing that the players who helped India win the T20 World Cup deserve continued backing. Speculation over Sooryavanshi’s inclusion has grown ever since the 15-year-old was named in India’s squads for the Ireland and England tours. However, handing him a debut would likely require India to split their successful opening partnership of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Addressing the media on the eve of the series opener, Iyer said team management’s priority is to provide stability and confidence to the current group. “Look, all the players in the team have performed well, it’s not that only one individual has performed well. “But we have to build that opportunity and security, so that each individual has confidence going forward into the tournaments. The players who have won the last World Cup definitely have an idea of how to play T20, and continuously they have been the main pillars of that format, so it’s very important to back them.” When asked directly whether Sooryavanshi would feature in the playing XI, Iyer chose not to disclose the team’s plans. “You never know what is going to happen. Our hands are also tied at the moment in terms of what we are going to do. This is very private. “This is something that we discuss in the team. We can’t let everyone know about what combination we are going to play and let the opponents know that this is going to happen. He is a prodigy and whenever he gets an opportunity to play, definitely, he will do (a) brilliant (job).” The India skipper also dismissed suggestions that there was external pressure on the team to hand the youngster his debut. “I am not seeing anything as such. Really, I don’t know. Neither do I follow news, nor do I follow what is going on in social media. I have not heard anything.”
Iyer reflects on Ireland setback
Iyer also looked back at India’s recent 0-2 T20I series defeat to Ireland, admitting the result was disappointing but insisting it offered valuable lessons. “It wasn’t embarrassing, but it was depressing for us, because we definitely didn’t expect Ireland to play that well. “They outplayed us in every department, they had brilliant ideas about the dimensions of the ground, and we fell short in terms of analysing and planning the ground and the dimensions, and how the wicket would be played.” He credited Ireland for their performance while expressing confidence that India have moved on. “Credit to them, but we learnt a lot from that series. This is a completely new chapter for us coming in here. “A couple of us have played in England before, and we know the conditions (and) the dimensions over here. So, looking forward for an intense and challenging series.”
Conditions in Belfast caught India off guard
According to Iyer, India’s inability to adapt quickly to the unique conditions in Belfast contributed to the series loss. “(At) Belfast, we played after so many years. “It’s not a reason (for series loss), but I’m just saying that (in) getting acclimatised to the wicket (and) to the conditions, we fell a bit short, (also) in terms of reading the outfield.” He described the venue as unlike the grounds Indian players are accustomed to. “The Belfast ground definitely wasn’t a stadium. The outfield was a bit slow, and it wasn’t even. The dimensions were also a bit squarish. “Also as a captain, for me (while) setting the field, it felt a bit outlandish, because we’re not used to it. We were playing in the IPL, all the grounds were perfectly even from every direction. So, that was a bit challenging.” Iyer believes the conditions in England will be more familiar. “Over here (England), the dimensions are pretty much similar, but the ground is flat, and you feel the stadium vibe, the crowd would be intense as well. We’ve played in such conditions, such situations before. So, yes, (we are) building into that.”
‘I trust my instincts’
Despite modest returns during the Ireland series, Iyer said he remains confident about his own batting. “The way I’m timing the ball in the nets, even in the previous game, I thought I was timing brilliantly, just the odd ball bounced and took an inner edge. “That doesn’t justify how my batting is or how much pressure I’m taking. I definitely believe in my instincts. I know how well I play under pressure.”
