“He Will Dominate Indian Cricket”: Shreyas Iyer Hails Young Prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi After Asian Games Gold Defence

New Delhi, Oct 4: India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer has emphasised the importance of freedom, fearlessness and backing each other as the team prepares for its five-match T20I series against the West Indies.

Speaking on JioStar's Follow the Blues, the Indian Captain said he wants his players to express themselves without worrying about external expectations as India builds towards the defence of its ICC Men's T20 World Cup title.

"We want players to be more liberal, more expressive in terms of being fearless out there and not restrict their instincts. Because when you curb your instincts, your natural abilities are not portrayed out there," Iyer said, as quoted by JioStar.

The captain also stressed the importance of maintaining unity during difficult periods, insisting that players must support one another regardless of the situation.

"So, through thick and thin, you've got to support each other and see to it that when the tough time comes, everyone's got each other's back," he added.

Iyer also opened up about his approach with the bat, saying he prefers to assess the match situation before deciding how aggressively to play. The right-hander believes in making the most of the fielding restrictions during the powerplay while also creating a strong platform for the batters who follow.

"I love to play the situation. If I'm going into bat in the powerplay, I want to capitalise on the field restrictions which you have in the powerplay," Iyer said.

He added that he enjoys taking on bowlers when the pressure is high and believes he can shift momentum once he settles at the crease.

Iyer also spoke warmly about young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, revealing that their conversations often extend beyond cricket. According to the captain, the teenager is quiet away from the field but transforms into an aggressive player once the action begins.

"I keep interacting with Vaibhav in terms of what he does outside the field, because everyone talks to him about cricket," Iyer said.

"He's a very charming, sweet guy to interact with and good to have him around the dressing room. And I know that his time will come... when his time comes, he is going to dominate Indian cricket," he added.

On team selection, Iyer made it clear that winning the series will remain the priority before experimenting with combinations.

"The most important thing for me is to win the series, and then we can experiment with the playing combination," he said, explaining that excessive experimentation early on could create insecurity among players.

India will now look to begin the West Indies series on a strong note as Iyer continues to establish his leadership style with a young and ambitious T20I squad.