Afghanistan vs India first T20I: Shreyas Iyer says Bumrah “needs game time” ahead of opener

New Delhi, September 12
India T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer on Saturday said Jasprit Bumrah needs regular game time and confidence after returning from an injury layoff, as India prepare to face Afghanistan in the first T20I on September 13.

Bumrah was named in India’s initial squad for the three-match T20I series but was required to undergo a fitness assessment after missing recent international fixtures due to a recurring left-knee injury.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Iyer said Bumrah’s experience will be valuable, but playing matches is important for any player returning from injury, especially ahead of major tournaments.

“As a player who comes out of an injury, it’s important that he gets game time. And you need that sort of confidence when you’re coming into the game. He has played so much of cricket over the years; he’s immensely experienced, but at the end of the day, if you would ask me as an individual who is coming out of an injury, I would want more game time and more confidence leading up to a certain tournament,” Iyer said.

The India skipper added that he had interacted with Bumrah on Friday and said the pacer was determined to contribute to the team’s success.

“Definitely, I interacted with him yesterday, and he’s in that mindset where he wants to come and perform for the team and see to it that we win championships,” Iyer said.

Bumrah’s return comes ahead of the Asian Games and with the ODI World Cup scheduled next year, making the Afghanistan T20I series an important opportunity for him to regain match rhythm.

Iyer also addressed the fitness of Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who have returned from injury concerns, saying the players looked fit after undergoing high-intensity training sessions.

Sundar had missed the recent two-game Test series in Sri Lanka due to a hamstring injury picked up during the second ODI against England in Cardiff in July. Reddy last featured for India during the home ODI series against Afghanistan in June before aggravating a left quadriceps injury, which led to him missing out on trips to Ireland, England and Sri Lanka.

“We are just focusing on tomorrow’s game at the moment. And looking at every individual who has come out of an injury, they are looking fit and fine. They are in great shape. And we had two high-intensity sessions yesterday and the day before yesterday,” he said.

On managing the squad amid a packed schedule and limited recovery time between matches, Iyer said the team was currently focused on the opening game.

“I honestly can’t tell you how we are going to manage it, but all I can assure you is that the team is looking promising. We are in great preparation, and I want to be optimistic in terms of how we approach the game,” he said.

Iyer also provided an update on Ishan Kishan, who got a minor niggle during a batting practice session. The T20I skipper said Kishan was comfortable and expected to be fit for the match.

“I feel that he’s comfortable at the moment. I interacted with him after the practice session. It was just a small niggle, and he’s been playing continuous cricket. We all know the knock he played, so definitely a bit fatigued. But today he got that rest, and I’m sure that he will be fine for tomorrow,” Iyer said.

On his preferred team combination, Iyer said he wanted players to have clarity about their roles while ensuring they feel needed by the team.

“Every individual, rather than knowing the role, it is important that they should have the awareness that the team requires them,” he said.

He added that defining a player’s role as something the team requires them to perform can help reduce pressure and make them feel valued.

“Because when you say that this is your role in the team, that puts immense pressure on the player. And if you could probably phrase it in a better way, saying that your team requires you in this particular role, you feel needed and you feel wanted for the team,” the Indian T20I skipper added.

India squad for Afghanistan T20Is: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur. (ANI)