Intro
India skipper says setbacks will strengthen team ahead of 2028 T20 World Cup challenge.
Chennai
India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer has urged his team to learn quickly from its disappointing tour of England after suffering a 0-4 series defeat that ended the side’s reign as the world’s No. 1-ranked T20I team.
The loss extended India’s winless run under Iyer’s captaincy to seven matches across the England and Ireland tours, putting both the newly appointed skipper and head coach Gautam Gambhir under pressure just months after India’s T20 World Cup triumph.
Despite the difficult start to his leadership tenure, Iyer insisted captaining India remains a privilege rather than a burden.
“Every individual dreams of captaining India. I love pressure and believe these experiences will make me a better leader. Good and bad phases are part of the game, and I’m not thinking about what people will say after this series,” he said.
Reflecting on the tour, Iyer said India’s immediate priority is to build a strong team culture capable of succeeding in overseas conditions. With the next T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia in 2028, he believes the current setbacks will help shape a more competitive squad.
“Our focus is to remain positive, nurture the players around us and build the camaraderie needed to succeed overseas. We have many tours coming up, and these experiences will prepare us better,” he said.
England’s series victory also saw them replace India at the top of the ICC T20I rankings, adding further significance to the defeat. India now face the challenge of regaining their status as Asia’s highest-ranked T20I side to strengthen their prospects for qualification to the cricket competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Acknowledging the disappointment, Iyer said the team must treat the tour as a learning experience.
“It definitely hurts, but it’s a great lesson for me as captain and for the younger players. You cannot expect to come to England and win without putting in the hard work. The quicker we learn and improve, the better it will be for the team,” he said.
Iyer will next join India’s ODI squad as vice-captain under Shubman Gill before leading the T20I side on its tour of Zimbabwe later this month.