Cant take anything for granted: Blame game erupts in Indian camp after first ever loss vs Ireland, Shreyas Iyer says this…

The captaincy of Shreyas Iyer in Twenty20 Internationals started with an unexpected upset in Belfast, where Ireland earned their first ever men’s international win over India. On a bouncy pitch with wide square boundaries, India’s batting lineup struggled as Irish bowlers pulled their lengths back, forcing mistimed shots that led to outfield catches.

‘You Can’t Take Anything for Granted’: Iyer Reflects on the Loss

Reflecting on the defeat, Iyer remarked, “You can’t take anything for granted,” Iyer said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “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.”

India’s Bowlers Make Bright Start Before Losing Control

Ireland’s innings opened aggressively with Tim Tector and Ross Adair, but Harshit Rana, returning from a lengthy injury layoff, dismissed both during the powerplay to finish with 3 for 24. Arshdeep Singh removed Harry Tector for a duck, while birthday boy Shivam Dube claimed Benjamin Calitz with his initial delivery…

Shreyas Iyer Points to Bowling Execution as Turning Point

Discussing the bowling performance, Iyer stated, “I think initially, the bowlers were bowling well,” Iyer said. “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.”

Batting Collapse Derails India’s Chase

In response, India fell short by 34 runs, bowled out for 148. Abhishek Sharma gave India a fiery start with a 20-ball half-century, but Vaibhav Sooryavanshi missed out on debut, and the top order collapsed.

Iyer Eyes Strong Comeback in Second T20I

Acknowledging the team’s rustiness, Iyer concluded, “Yes, definitely,” Iyer said when asked if players were rusty. “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.”

He added, “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.”