Many hearts were broken as the Indian team decided to bench Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the 5th and final T20I against England, paving the way for veteran Sanju Samson ‘s return to the team as Abhishek Sharma ‘s opening partner.
The decision was labeled ‘harsh’ by many fans, with some suggesting that it could dent Sooryavanshi’s confidence. However, India skipper Shreyas Iyer has now revealed that the 15-year-old batting prodigy wasn’t benched due to concerns over his form, but rather the management’s strategy at the top of the batting order.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Shreyas revealed that the management decided to have a left-hand, right-hand combination at the top. Hence, Sooryavanshi had to be replaced by Samson.
“We needed to try the best combination that would be perfect for these conditions,” Iyer said. “And we also wanted a right-hander to open with Abhishek. So, that was one of the major reasons.”
“As I mentioned earlier, we wanted to try a different combination that would be suitable for this particular game. And he’s (Samson) a gun batsman. He has won so many series for us in the past,” Shreyas added when asked about Samson’s return to the playing XI.
What Went Wrong? Shreyas Iyer’s Reply
Both the Ireland and England series were quite tough for the Indian team, with the men from the subcontinent failing to win a single contest. When asked about the reasons behind such a fiasco, Shreyas said there wasn’t a single issue, but rather an accumulation of several challenges the team faced, especially from the point of view of adaptation.
“Honestly, there hasn’t been any particular point, but you see, we kept on going from one venue to another, and we kept on facing challenges, especially in terms of the dimensions of the grounds and the conditions,” Iyer said at the post-match press conference. “Adapting to it as quickly as we could have anticipated didn’t happen. That was one challenge, and the other one is that they definitely outplayed us in all departments, I would say. So, I think the combination of all these points definitely led to this result.”
“When I say great learning, it’s all about how you turn up for the tournament,” Iyer said. “You can’t just have the mindset that you will come to England and win the series. You need to work hard, and you need to be focused, which we were as a team. But I personally feel that they played exceptional cricket throughout in all three departments. So, the results also went in their favor because they were comprehensive in all three departments.”
Way Forward For India
Keeping the challenges aside, Shreyas is eager to learn and perform under pressure, both as a batter and a captain, as he begins this new chapter in his career on a demoralizing note.
“For me, thriving under pressure and learning from these moments is definitely going to make me better going forward,” Iyer said. “And that’s my mindset right now. I’m not thinking much about how people are going to perceive this particular series because good and bad are part and parcel of this game.”
“Going forward, I need to be extremely positive in how I’m going to nurture everyone who is playing around me, especially in overseas conditions. We know we are going to play in Australia and many other cities before that. So, building the best camaraderie to fit in these conditions is our goal, and going forward, that is going to be our plan.”