NEW DELHI: Shreyas Iyer’s tenure as India T20I captain got off to the worst possible start after Ireland scripted one of the biggest upsets in the format, sealing a historic 2-0 series win with a dramatic one-run win in the second T20I at Stormont on Sunday.The defeat not only gave Ireland their first T20I series win over India but also left Iyer with an unwanted record. He has now become only the second Indian captain after Rishabh Pant to lose each of his first two T20Is in charge.India, the reigning T20 World Cup champions, failed to chase down a modest target of 155, finishing on 153 for 9 despite a late comeback from Harshit Rana (21 off 10). The defeat also ended India’s remarkable run of 16 consecutive T20I series victories that stretched till 2023.
“They had a tremendous idea on the wicket”
A disappointed Iyer admitted that Ireland deserved every bit of the series triumph, praising the hosts for reading the conditions far better than their side.“It’s still not a great series, honestly speaking, but kudos to them, the way they played,” Iyer said after the match.“The Ireland team, I think they showed professionalism and definitely had a tremendous idea of ​​how the wicket was going to play and the field work was phenomenal. So a complete win for them and congratulations.”The Indian captain felt that his bowlers had executed their plans quite well, but accepted that the batting unit did not adapt to the difficult conditions.
“We missed the wicket analysis”
Iyer pointed to India’s inability to assess the surface correctly and strike rotation as the deciding factor behind the defeat.“Absolutely. I feel the bowlers, they were phenomenal in terms of their performances today. But we fell a little short in our batting. We have fallen a bit short in terms of analyzing how the wicket is going to play and also converting singles into twos. I think they definitely outdid us in that department.”India’s pursuit unraveled almost immediately after Jai Moondra, a software engineer from Rajasthan’s Tonk representing Ireland, dismissed Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma for first-ball ducks before getting Iyer himself out. At 35 for 4, India were left with too much to do despite Tilak Varma’s fighting 55.Earlier, debutant Prince impressed with three wickets while Shivam Dube claimed two as Ireland were restricted to 154 for 8, with Harry Tector scoring 53 in his 100th T20I appearance.
I support the newcomers despite a difficult debut
Despite the disappointing result, Iyer backed the new faces in the team and expressed confidence that they will benefit from the experience.“Prince has had great experience in the IPL and he brings that momentum here as well. He has his own set of ideas and plans when it comes to the ball. But the attitude and approach he had and also Suryansh… it was his first game but yes, he will definitely learn from it.”Signing off with a message for the Irish fans, Iyer added: “Thank you very much. It’s an honor and a pleasure to be here.”While Ireland celebrated the biggest T20I series triumph in their history, Iyer’s captaincy reign began with two painful defeats, leaving India scrambling for answers ahead of their next assignment.
