India‘s new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer has called on his team to avoid complacency after suffering a shocking defeat to Ireland in the opening match of the two-match T20I series in Belfast. The loss not only handed Ireland their first-ever men’s international victory over India but also exposed several areas that the visitors will need to address quickly ahead of the second game. While Iyer admitted the defeat was disappointing, he stressed that the experience would serve as an important lesson for a relatively fresh-looking Indian side adapting to unfamiliar conditions.

Shreyas Iyer urges India to stay grounded after wake-up call

Leading India in T20Is for the first time, Iyer watched his side lose control despite making an excellent start with the ball. Ireland were reduced to 51/4 before a match-defining partnership between Gareth Delany and Lorcan Tucker turned the contest on its head. Reflecting on the defeat, the Indian skipper admitted that his team paid the price for easing their grip at crucial moments.

“You can’t take anything for granted. You can’t just turn up and win matches. You have to work hard and see to it that you’re in that moment. Like I mentioned earlier, you’ve got to stay in the present and see to it that if you’ve got that opportunity to squeeze the opponent, we’ve got to do that. And yeah, never take any moment or situation lightly,” said Iyer as quoted by Cricbuzz.

India’s fielding also hurt their chances, with three dropped catches allowing Ireland’s key batters to extend their innings. The bowlers, who had controlled the Powerplay impressively, struggled to maintain the same discipline during the middle overs, repeatedly offering scoring opportunities down the ground where the boundaries were significantly shorter. Assessing his bowling unit’s performance, Iyer acknowledged both the positives and the mistakes.

“I think initially, the bowlers were bowling well. They got lateral movement, and they got a couple of wickets as well. So we got a tremendous start, but in between, we lost execution. We made them hit straight down the ground, where we know that the dimensions are pretty small. But then, yeah, the bowlers, when we had to shut down the overs, they were brilliant as well. So I thought 140 would have been an amazing score considering the start that we got,” added Iyer.

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India shift focus to second T20I with lessons learned

Despite the disappointing start to the series, Iyer insisted that India must move on quickly rather than dwell on the setback. The captain acknowledged that some players looked rusty but believes the experience of playing in Belfast’s challenging conditions will benefit the team going forward. He made it clear that the dressing room is already looking ahead to the next encounter.

“Yes, definitely. We’re going to forget what’s happened. Definitely a lot to learn from this game and see to it that we come out in the next game all guns blazing,” explained the Mumbai batter.

Iyer also chose to highlight the positives from his first match as captain, saying the team now has a much better understanding of the surface and local conditions.

“It’s a great experience over here. We got to play in these conditions, got a fair idea about the wicket, and yeah, great start as a captain,” Iyer added further.

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