Iyer raring to go after Ireland, England ‘reality check’

It has been a far-from-ideal start to Shreyas Iyer’s tenure as India’s T20I captain. Taking over a side that had lifted the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier in the year, Iyer is still searching for his first win after two series defeats.

India first suffered a shock 2-0 series defeat away to Ireland before enduring a disappointing tour of England, where they went winless in the five-match series, losing 4-0 after the opening game was washed out.

Iyer is hoping to take the positives from the UK tour and turn things around when India face Zimbabwe in the upcoming T20I series, which begins on 23 July.

“We need to adapt as soon as we can. That's what we failed to do in Ireland. That was a reality check,” Iyer said in the press conference on the eve of the first match. 

“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.

“The results didn't go our way. That has brought the team closer together. We've been having a lot of discussions about how we are going to play as a unit going forward, especially against Zimbabwe right now. 

“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.”

India head into the Zimbabwe series with a host of fresh faces in the squad. Yash Thakur and Ashok Sharma have earned their maiden T20I call-ups, while wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh is also in line for his international debut.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Harsh Dubey and Suryansh Shedge have only recently broken into the team in 2026, while Mayank Yadav returns after an injury-hit spell, having last represented India in two T20Is in 2024.

Set to play in Zimbabwe for the first time himself, Iyer is eager to give the youngsters the freedom to express themselves and help them settle into international cricket.

“It is also my first time here in Zimbabwe. I will look forward to adapting as quickly as possible,” the India skipper added. 

“I want to bring the best out of them [youngsters] as captain. The young bowling group should not have the fear of failure. Because when fear plays on the back of the mind, then you start playing defensively. When there is no fear of failure, it brings out the best in you.

“The message I want to convey to the young players in the squad is to not think about what's being said outside and the recent see-saw of results. We have to stay in the present.

“If we play good cricket, play with unity, the team will benefit. Individual performance comes later.”

The road back has not been easy for Iyer either, with the India T20I captain overcoming a series of serious injuries over the past few years.

A back injury in 2023 ruled him out for most of the year before he returned in time for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. The issue resurfaced during the 2024 Test series against England, forcing him onto the sidelines once again.

In October 2025, Iyer suffered a spleen laceration with internal bleeding while taking a catch in an ODI against Australia, which required hospitalisation and intensive care.

Despite the challenges, Iyer has embraced the lessons from each setback, believing the injuries have made him mentally stronger and better equipped to deal with pressure.

“I feel like it has made me more confident as an individual because when you overcome the injury phase, as quickly as possible, mentally, it makes you very positive,” he noted.

“You work on your skills, you work on your strengths and weaknesses. And I have this feeling that when you overcome this barrier as an individual, it makes you stronger as a person. And then whatever challenges you face on the field, you know how quickly you can overcome them.”