Iyer Tight Lipped on Opening Combination Ahead of Series Opener

Indian captain Shreyas Iyer addressed the media at the pre-match press conference ahead of the first T20I against Afghanistan, which will be played on Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with the opening combination among the key selection talking points.

With Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in contention for the opening slots, Iyer admitted that picking the combination will be a difficult decision.

“As you rightly said, all three of them, having them in the team is a luxury first of all, and they are flawless in their own departments,” Iyer said on the eve of the match. “Well, it is going to be a tight call because they have been performing consistently. Whoever gets the opportunity, definitely it’s for the team’s benefit.”

“The player sitting outside, it’s important that I have an interaction with him along with the coach and give him that confidence. No matter what, you will get your opportunity when the day comes,” he added.

On Ishan Kishan’s fitness, Iyer said the wicketkeeper-batter had suffered only a minor niggle and is expected to be available.
“It was just a small niggle and he has been playing continuous cricket,” Iyer said. “We all know the knock he played, so definitely a bit fatigued. But today he got that rest and I am sure that he will be fine for the game.”

Speaking about his preferred combination, Iyer said players should understand what the team requires from them rather than feel pressured by a fixed role.

“Rather than knowing the role, it’s important that they should have that awareness that the team requires you,” he said. “When you say this is your role in the team, that puts immense pressure on the player. If you phrase it as your team requires you in this particular role, you feel needed and wanted for the team.”

On managing injuries and changes in the squad, Iyer said: “We need to understand the amount of matches a player is playing continuously, rigorously. He is prone to get injured. Not every player thinks of getting injured deliberately. All you can control is whoever is available on that given day and you need to give that sort of confidence to that particular player. Even if there is a backup, he is equally important for the team and we know that they can deliver as well.”

On Jasprit Bumrah’s return, Iyer said: “As a player comes out of an injury, it’s important that he gets game time. I would want more game time and more confidence leading up to a certain tournament. I interacted with him yesterday. He is in that mindset where he wants to come and perform for the team and see to it that we win championships.”

On head coach Gautam Gambhir, Iyer praised his aggressive approach and player management.

“He has got an amazing one-on-one player management approach,” Iyer on Gambhir. “All of us are different in our own ways and you need to understand a certain player. I have worked with him in the past at KKR, so I definitely know how his mind works.”

With the first T20I one sleep away, the key question remains at the top of the order. Abhishek, Samson and Sooryavanshi are all in contention, leaving Iyer and the team management with a difficult call ahead of the series opener.

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