India’s Shreyas Iyer plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP
Six years ago, during the 2019 50-over World Cup, India’s journey ended in the semifinals when it lost to New Zealand. One of the weak links during that campaign was the unstable middle-order, especially the crucial No. 4 spot.
While the likes of Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul and Virat Kohli gave solidity at the top, the middle- and lower-order had a far from settled look.
Ambati Rayudu was groomed to bat at two-drop in the lead-up, but at the last minute, Vijay Shankar was preferred over him for his ability to send in a few overs of medium-pace. Once the latter was injured, the middle-order lost stability.
Also Read | I am absolutely keen for a comeback, says Shreyas Iyer
Ever since, the Men in Blue have been clear about investing in a reliable No. 4 batter in ODIs. Given the opportunity, Shreyas Iyer has evolved in that role.
The 30-year-old had a dream World Cup in 2023, scoring 530 runs, including two centuries at an impressive strike rate of 113.
His record since 2022 further accentuates his case as one of the best middle-order batters in recent times. Of the 45 matches he has played in the last three years, he has walked in at four on 26 occasions and scored 1186 runs, the fifth-highest. More importantly, the Mumbai batter has the best average among the top-five (56.47) and the best strike rate (104.95).
Though he had a middling series in Sri Lanka last year where most batters struggled in the three-match joust, Shreyas roared back with scores of 59, 44, 78 (against England), 15 (Bangladesh), and 56 (Pakistan), the most recent.
Known for his ability to handle the spinners, Shreyas showed his full range while taking on the Pakistan tweakers during the middle-overs and shut out any hope for Mohammed Rizwan’s men. He was the perfect foil for Virat Kohli, and shouldered the responsibility of taking on the spinners. He swept and revere-swept, even stepping out to go straight down the ground.
About his approach, Shreyas said, “It’s not always set. Sometimes you go in when you lose two wickets quickly. Either way, I love to take on the bowlers when under pressure. That’s my mindset.
“If we take charge and shift the momentum, it’s easy to steady the ship. From there, when the rest of the batters come in, it becomes easy for them.”
But despite his remarkable record, he was not a sure starter for the Champions Trophy. Following his 36-ball 59 against England in Nagpur earlier this month, Shreyas revealed he wouldn’t have played that game if not for Kohli pulling out due to a niggle at the last minute.
Shreyas walked in when the team was in trouble at 19 for two and immediately put the pressure back on the English bowlers.
While he has most shots in his armoury, one weakness has been his lack of assurance while tackling bouncers. However, in the last few months, Shreyas seems to have fine-tuned his batting to overcome this problem.
In the game at Nagpur, when Jofra Archer tried to bounce him, he maintained a stable base, pulled and ramped him for six over long-on and third-man. Even against Pakistan, he was ready for the chin-music, pulling Haris Rauf over mid-wicket.
From being a certainty in all three formats 18 months ago, Shreyas was in danger of being frozen out of international cricket. But in the last month, he grabbed the one big chance that landed on his lap at Nagpur, using the ‘blessing’ and reinforcing his value to the star-studded batting line-up.
Published – February 27, 2025 04:32 pm IST