Ahead of the first ODI against England, India batter Shreyas Iyer said he would give his best and absolutely play the game with full energy in the bilateral series, as both teams plan to fine-tune their combinations ahead of the Champions Trophy. Iyer last played for India in the 2-0 ODI series defeat in Sri Lanka in August 2024, and is now back in the mix for back-to-back 50-over assignments in the national set-up. “I love to be in the present and that’s what I am going to do in the ODI series right now, match by match. The learnings and knowledge I would be gaining out of this, especially on joining the team after a long time, is key.
“It gives me chills every time I wear the Indian team jersey – showcasing the emblem and logo – is a proud moment. I would play the game with full energy and give my best. This gap which I got from international cricket has given me a lot of learnings. See, to be honest, I don’t run behind success. I follow a certain type of routine & preparation which will take me towards success,” said Iyer in a video posted by bcci.tv. on Thursday.
Iyer had a magical 2024 where he won championships for fun. He led his previous IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders to a season triumph before being a part of the Mumbai team winning the Irani Cup and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“For me, the champion is me. It is always in the mind that there is no one to support you other than yourself. You keep transforming and elevating yourself from one level to another and you never cry over split milk.
“See, I always keep saying that I love staying in the present and I have been so grateful that I won many championships in 2024. But the more I do keep repeating things every now and then, that inevitably gets me the result.
“The journey overall teaches you a lot – you win some, you lose some and you experience a lot. If you run behind something, you definitely get it. But there’s a journey towards it; it’s not that you get it overnight,” elaborated Iyer.
He also talked about keeping his self-belief intact and being grounded despite garnering so much championship success. “The more you achieve, the more success you get. It is important and essential to be down to earth and see that you show a gratifying gesture towards everyone. I never underestimate myself.
“I see to it that I don’t have realistic thoughts because whenever I have that, I am doubting my abilities and you are limiting yourself to excel. You see so many failures – people keep talking about your skills, techniques and a lot of other things. So you just turn a deaf ear and that self-belief is the most important point,” concluded Iyer.
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