India captain Shreyas Iyer on Wednesday called on his young side to play without the fear of failure as they prepare to take on Zimbabwe in the opening match of the three-match T20I series at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday, stressing that adaptability, awareness and collective effort will be key to turning around the team’s recent fortunes overseas.
Having endured a difficult run in England, where India struggled to produce consistent performances, Iyer acknowledged that the tour had exposed areas that require improvement but insisted the experience would prove valuable in the long run.
“Definitely, we had a rough patch in England. But a lot of positives out of that. We got to know what we have to build as a team going forward, what kind of presence of mind, awareness, and adaptability we need once we step onto the field. This is going to be a great challenge for us. Some of us are playing for the first time, so the quicker we adapt, the better result we would be getting,” Iyer told the media at the pre-match press conference.
The skipper described India’s recent overseas assignments as an important learning curve, saying repeated exposure to unfamiliar conditions would eventually help the side grow into a stronger unit.
“We’ve had three series outside of India, and it’s a great exposure for us as well, as a team, because you don’t get this often. And this is a challenging phase, and the quicker you overcome this phase, the better you get as a team, and you get the results as well eventually,” he added.
With India arriving in Zimbabwe only a day before training began, Iyer admitted the schedule has left little time for preparation but maintained that adapting quickly is now part of international cricket.
“Not going to lie, it is definitely very challenging. Like we came yesterday, and today is practice, and tomorrow is a match again. So it is challenging, but it is fun. And if you give a good performance in this, then definitely you will be happy with yourself, and you will definitely get praise.
“We have to adapt as soon as possible. Because that’s what happened with us in Ireland. We got a sort of a reality check. So here, as soon as we create awareness and execute things properly, definitely the results will go our way,” Iyer stated.
Iyer also backed the younger members of the squad to respond positively after their recent setbacks, expressing confidence that they would have worked on the shortcomings exposed during the previous series.
“All the youngsters have definitely practised. They have found a decent gap after the T20 series. So they must have rectified where they went wrong. They must have learnt from the last tournament what they can do better. And if they feel something, I can go to the ground and tell them,” he said.
The India captain reserved his strongest message for the team’s mindset, urging his players to ignore external criticism and focus instead on playing fearless cricket for the collective good.
“I don’t think they should fear failure. When you have such thoughts in the back of your mind, then you play to save yourself. When you don’t have the thought of fear of failure, then you can get the best out of yourself. I have to convey this message: the talks that are happening outside, what people will say, this series went up and down, we don’t have to think much about that. We have to stay in the present day. The more we play good cricket, the more we play with unity as a team, the more the team will benefit. We will think about the individual later,” Iyer expressed.
India begin the three-match series against Zimbabwe on Thursday looking to bounce back from recent disappointments and build momentum with a young squad under Iyer’s leadership.
