"If I was the coach, I will say that I can bet on him for at least 60 runs" - Mohammad Kaif lauds Shreyas Iyer
Mohammad Kaif has lauded Shreyas Iyer for consistently delivering the goods for Team India in pressure situations.
Iyer scored an unbeaten 29 off 46 deliveries in India's second innings of the second Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur on Sunday, December 25. He strung together an unbroken 71-run eighth-wicket partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin (42* off 62) to help the visitors chase down a 145-run target. The rescue act was crucial as India were in deep trouble at 74/7.
During a discussion on Sony Sports, Kaif was all praise for Shreyas Iyer, saying:
"He is not scoring hundreds but scoring continuously in every match. If I was the coach, I will say that I can bet on him for at least 60 runs. He didn't look troubled at all, even if you talk about the ODIs."
The former Indian batter wants the Men in Blue to field the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper in their playing XI in the upcoming T20Is against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. He said:
"He can play all three formats. He has confirmed his spot in ODIs and Tests. You will play T20Is against Sri Lanka and New Zealand before the Test matches, so you should try him out. He is a player who hits sixes and also knows how to defend."
Iyer was only picked as one of the reserves in India's T20 World Cup squad. He did not have a great time in the two shortest-format innings he played during India's limited-overs tour of New Zealand after the global event.
"It is not that he has any weakness" - Mohammad Kaif on Shreyas Iyer
Mohammad Kaif believes Shreyas Iyer will overcome his short-ball issues over time, elaborating:
"He is a proper batter, it is not that he has any weakness. Yes, people talk about the short ball but he will get better while playing.
"He didn't score too many runs in this knock but the time at which he came to bat, when the bowlers were dominating, the ball was turning, he removed the pitch from his mind and just watched the ball."
India looked in control over the last 40 runs. The turning point was the boundaries that Shreyas scored against Shakib and the two, the cover drives off front and back foot, against Mehidy.
The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by praising Iyer for his mental toughness, explaining:
"It is very difficult to play for India. There is a lot of pressure because four players are waiting behind whoever is playing. If Shreyas Iyer gets out, someone or the other is waiting. He is scoring continuously, which shows he is extremely fit mentally."
Shreyas Iyer, not Cheteshwar Pujara, should have been the player of the series. He played 3 innings in the series, all of which were impactful. 86 at Chittogram, and 87 & 29* in Dhaka. Pujara's contribution in the second test was minimal. #INDvsBAN
Shreyas Iyer bailed India out of trouble in all three of his innings in the Test series against Bangladesh. He scored 86 runs in the only knock he played in the first Test in Chattogram after walking out to bat at 112/4. He followed that up with a 87-run knock when India were in a spot of bother at 94/4 in their first innings in Mirpur.