Shreyas Iyer opens up on playing in the Asian Games for the first time

India is all set to take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series starting on September 13 (Sunday). This is also the first time that Shreyas Iyer will be leading India at a major tournament.

New Delhi: India's captain Shreyas Iyer addresses a press conference ahead of the first T20I cricket match of a series between India and Afghanistan, in New Delhi, Saturday, Sept. (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan) (PTI09_12_2026_000329A) (PTI)Speaking at the pre-match press conference before the 1st T20I vs.

What Happened

It is definitely an exciting time for me and also for the team because it's going to be my first time, and there are a couple of players who have already been in the Asian Games, last Asian Games. The first match.

• This will be ideal preparation for the Men in Blue as they take the field for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in the quarter-final on September 28.

• This is also a chance for India to regain the gold medal that they won in the Asian Games 2022.

• And leading up to the Asian Games, we have got a great opportunity to play against a very quality side.

Key Details

So we have to stay in the present and see to it that we deliver when the time comes.

• We are thinking about the first game; we know that Afghanistan is a nice team, and our preparation has also been promising for the last couple of days.

• See, we will go game by game; we don't have to think too far ahead.

• However, Shreyas Iyer is taking one game at a time, and before moving towards the Asian Games, he has his sights set on the series against Afghanistan.

Why It Matters

And sharing a relationship with the hockey players and other Olympic players, athletes who would be there along with us, definitely would be a great interaction, and we would be eagerly waiting to go there and interact with them and know what.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Hindustan Times as more details emerge