“A game or two is not going to define Shreyas Iyer” - Abhishek Nayar backs under-pressure Team India batter
Abhishek Nayar has backed Shreyas Iyer to find form soon in the ODI format, adding that a couple of failures are not going to define the batter. According to Nayar, Shreyas needs to get one good innings under his belt and things will be fine.
Shreyas recently made a comeback to international cricket during the Asia Cup after recovering from a back injury. However, he missed the Super 4 round and the final of the tournament after suffering back spasms.
Apart from his fitness, there are concerns over his batting as well. The 28-year-old was dismissed for 14 in the group match against Pakistan during the Asia Cup. On Friday, he was run out for 3 off 8 balls against Australia in Mohali, following a mix-up with Shubman Gill.
While discussing Shreyas’ dismissal on Jio Cinema, Nayar threw his weight behind the batter and asserted that he could make a strong comeback.
“He's a professional cricketer and being part of the IPL setup for a long time and this Indian team for a couple of years now, he understands that you made a mistake and the communication wasn't great. It maybe wasn't the right time to pick that single. India were in a comfortable position. But you expect Shreyas Iyer to come back from this,” he said.
Nayar added that Shreyas won’t be under any kind of pressure since the Indian team is backing him and also pointed out that he is a proven performer in the one-day format.
“He has come back before as well and I am sure he is going to be in a relaxed space because of the environment in this Indian team is where they are backing players. He knows he has done well over a period of time. A game or two is not going to define Shreyas Iyer. It's just about him finding that one inning. Iyer has done it for India in this format," he added.
Shreyas’ early dismissal did not hurt India as they eased home to victory in the first ODI against Australia. After Mohammed Shami claimed a five-fer, four Indian batters struck half-centuries as the Men in Blue chased 277 in 48.4 overs with five wickets in hand.
Shreyas Iyer’s impressive ODI record
While Shreyas may have failed in his last two one-dayers, he has an impressive record in the format. In 45 matches, he has scored 1648 runs at an average of 44.54, with two hundreds and 14 fifties.
The right-handed batter will be keen to come up with a big score when India face Australia in Indore on Sunday.