India's Iyer admits 'can't take anything for granted' after Ireland loss

India's T20I captain Shreyas Iyer admitted his team underestimated Ireland following their unexpected 34-run defeat in the first T20I. This marked India's first-ever loss to Ireland in any format, prompting Iyer to stress that no opponent can be taken for granted.

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I think you cannot take anything for granted. You cannot just turn up and win matches. You have to work hard and see to it that you are in that moment.

"You cannot take anything for granted. You cannot just turn up and win matches. You have to work hard and see to it that you are in that moment," Iyer stated during the post-match presentation. He reflected on the team's lapse in execution, particularly in bowling, where they allowed Ireland to hit straight shots at a small venue after initially finding lateral movement.

Ireland posted 182/9, with Lorcan Tucker and Gareth Delany scoring 50 and 49 respectively. India's chase faltered despite a strong start, collapsing from 45/1 to 148 all out due to impressive bowling from Ireland's Matthew Hollard, Matthew Humphreys, and Jai Moondra. Iyer acknowledged that playing T20Is after a long break might have played a role and that the team aims to learn from the match.

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Definitely a lot to learn from this game and see to it that we come out in the next game all guns blazing.

Despite the overall disappointment, Iyer commended the bowling efforts of Harshit Rana and Shivam Dube. He noted Rana's phenomenal performance coming back from injury and backed Dube, whom he knows well from domestic cricket, for bowling crucial overs. Iyer concluded by urging his team to stay present and seize opportunities to pressure opponents.

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Coming out of an injury to perform at this level and showcase this sort of talent, it is simply brilliant.