India captain Shreyas Iyer showed great sportsmanship after his team completed a 3-0 series sweep against Afghanistan. The series was called the Friendship Cup. After the final match in Delhi, Iyer invited Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran to join India’s trophy celebration. He called Zadran onto the podium and asked him to share the silverware with the Indian team. He also made sure Zadran stood with the Indian players for the winning team photograph.
The gesture won praise from many people. Sunil Gavaskar, who was on commentary, called it fantastic. He said having the opposition captain join for the team photo was a special moment. He described it as the money shot.
Iyer had already shown respect to Zadran earlier in the series. Before the first T20I in New Delhi, he gifted Zadran a signed jersey at the toss.
This was not the first time such a moment happened between India and Afghanistan. In June 2018, Afghanistan played their first-ever Test match against India in Bengaluru. India won that game by an innings and 262 runs. After the match, India’s stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane invited Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan and his teammates to join India for the victory photo. Nearly nine years later, Iyer did something similar.
India won the series 3-0. But the lasting image was of both captains sharing the stage. It showed that sport can be about respect and friendship, not just winning and losing.
Shreyas Iyer Reflects on Tough Start as India T20I Captain After First Series Win Against Afghanistan
Shreyas Iyer has spoken about his early days as India’s T20 captain. He called the start a “tough pill to swallow”. But he also said the journey is always a “rollercoaster”. Iyer took over from Suryakumar Yadav after India won the T20 World Cup in March. His first two series as captain were away defeats to Ireland (0-2) and England (1-4). He then won his first series as captain against Afghanistan.
India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in New Delhi on Tuesday. That gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Sanju Samson scored a fast 57 off 22 balls. Nitish Kumar Reddy took three wickets. Iyer said his team needed a big win after the first match. He was happy with how they played.
Iyer said he will try different combinations in the final T20I. He wants to give chances to players on the bench. He said it will be a good opportunity for them to get used to the conditions.
All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy spoke after the match. He said his body feels good. He has been working on his pace at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. He said he always wanted to be the greatest all-rounder. For that, he needed extra pace. He feels he is getting that now. He added that it is all about believing in yourself. He called cricket a funny game where anything can change at any moment.
Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran said his team struggled again. He felt they lacked firepower in the Powerplay. He said they did not play well in that phase and India’s bowlers put them under pressure. He said they need to improve. He wants his team to score 200-plus instead of 150-160. He said they need to bring that intent. He added that they have only played two games this year, so more games will help them improve.
FAQs
Q. Who did Shreyas Iyer invite to India’s trophy celebration?
A. Iyer invited Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran.
Q. What did India win against Afghanistan?
A. India won the three-match series 3-0.
Q. What did Iyer give Zadran before the series?
A. Iyer gave him a signed Indian jersey.
Q. Who praised Iyer’s trophy celebration gesture?
A. Sunil Gavaskar praised the gesture.
Q. Who was India’s captain in the 2018 Test against Afghanistan?
A. Ajinkya Rahane was India’s stand-in captain.
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