"His innings resembled the one in the World Cup semifinal" - Chandrakant Pandit lauds Shreyas Iyer for game-changing knock in Ranji final
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit has praised Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer for his breathtaking 95-run knock off 111 balls in the second innings of the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha.
With questions surrounding his red-ball form and fitness, the 29-year-old took Mumbai from 164/3 to a daunting 332/4 when dismissed. Despite falling five runs short of his century, Shreyas launched a brutal assault on the Vidarbha bowlers, smashing 10 boundaries and three maximums in his innings.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Pandit applauded Iyer's fearlessness throughout his knock and compared it to the 2023 World Cup semi-final century.
"It was an important innings for Shreyas and he delivered it when it mattered. Although in a different format, his innings resembled the one in the World Cup semifinal here at the Wankhede against New Zealand (he had scored 105 off 70 deliveries then). He is playing good cricket and it was bad luck that he could not score big runs in the last few games," said Pandit.
"The fact that he smashed 10 boundaries and three sixes is an indication that he is playing fearlessly and is not changing his style of play. The innings will stand him in good stead," he added.
Shreyas smashed a 70-ball 105 in the World Cup semi-final to help Team India defeat New Zealand by 70 runs and advance to the final.
Cut to the present, his heroics helped Mumbai post a massive 418 in their second innings and set Vidarbha an improbable target of 538 for victory.
Meanwhile, the right-handed batter will associate with Chandrakant Pandit when he returns as KKR skipper for the 2024 IPL season after missing the 2023 edition with an injury.
"The best knock I think came from Ajinkya" - Chandrakant Pandit
While praising Musheer Khan's brilliant 136 and Shreyas Iyer's 95, Chadrakant Pandit felt Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane played the best knock amongst the trio in the second innings.
Rahane, 35, came to the middle with the side struggling at 34/2, and scored a defiant 73 off 143 deliveries to tilt the game back in Mumbai's favor.
"I liked his (Musheer) approach and his partnership with Iyer may have made things difficult for Vidrabha. But the best knock I think came from Ajinkya (73). He scored those runs when Umesh Yadav was in the midst of a good spell. Now with so many runs on the board, it will be very difficult for Vidarbha," said Pandit.
Pandit was the coach of the Vidarbha side that won the Ranji title in 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
However, the side faces an uphill task to stop Mumbai from winning an incredible 42nd title.