Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir (Ex-BCCI)

captain of india Shreyas Iyer He has insisted that he is ready to accept the challenges of leading the national T20I team, adding that he always believed that this opportunity would come after consistent performances for both his IPL franchise and the country. In place of which Iyer was appointed as the new T20I captain of India. Suryakumar YadavHis tenure got off to a tough start as India suffered a 2-0 series defeat to Ireland in Belfast. However, ahead of the five-match T20I series against England, the captain is focusing on learning from the experience while also creating a new identity for the team. “To be honest, it’s not strange. I was expecting it at some point. I have performed brilliantly in the previous IPL tournaments whenever I have represented the country.” So, it was no surprise to me. But, at the same time, I think it’s a great opportunity for me to learn from all the people who have been a part of the T20 World Cup-winning team, the team management, the support staff and some of the individuals who have played,” Iyer told BCCI.TV. The 31-year-old admitted that captaining India was the fulfillment of a childhood dream and described the responsibility as one of the proudest moments of his career. He said, “As a child, you always dreamed of playing for the Indian team. Now, you have got the opportunity to lead the Indian team. I think this is the icing on the cake. It means the world.” Reflecting on the journey that led him to the leadership role, Iyer credited the support system around him while acknowledging the hard work behind his rise. “It’s definitely a result of the hard work you’ve put in and the support you’ve received from fans, family and friends. It’s hard to put feelings into words.” Iyer also outlined the aggressive brand of cricket he wants his team to play, saying he hopes to develop a fearless mentality that will put opponents under pressure the moment India step on the field. “I just love being a threat to opponents. I want to have that aggressive, fearless approach when I get on the field. I want my guys to be united around that mentality where opponents are a little intimidated by our personality and presence on the field. When I come out on the field, it’s like war for me. I want to win every match and that’s the mentality I want to bring to everyone. He said, “Continuous, ruthless and tenacious. No pressure, but at the same time, it’s going to be challenging. I just want to accept the challenge. I want it to be challenging, because I thrive under pressure.” Speaking about the head coach Gautam GambhirWhile delivering the message to the team, Iyer revealed that the team is treating this phase as the beginning of a new chapter despite India’s recent T20 World Cup win. “Gauthi Bhai had mentioned in one of his interviews that we were world champions. This is a new paragraph that starts completely where I am the leader of the team and we are starting from zero again.” The captain also reflected on India’s disappointing tour of Ireland and admitted that the results did not live up to expectations, but stressed that the series imparted valuable lessons, especially for players experiencing English and Irish conditions for the first time. “Definitely not the start we wanted, but there was a lot to learn coming into new conditions. Most of the players are playing for the first time in England and Ireland as well, so it’s a learning opportunity for them as well. Also we have to build that camaraderie where everyone starts supporting each other and trusting each other again.” India’s batting struggled during the Ireland series, with the top order failing to provide solid starts in any of the matches. However, the bowling attack showed encouraging signs, especially through debutant Prince Yadav, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. With England posing a tough challenge, Iyer will now look to register his first series win as India’s T20I captain while implementing a fearless and relentless brand of cricket that he believes can take the team forward.