"Useful for Indian cricket in any format" - Chandrakant Pandit backs Shreyas Iyer to bounce back from recent off and on-field setbacks
Kolkata Knight Riders coach Chandrakant Pandit has backed Shreyas Iyer to bounce back from his recent setback in international cricket. The former Indian cricketer believes the right-handed batter will be a valuable addition to the national side across formats.
The Mumbai-born batter was dropped for the remainder of the series after failing to deliver notable performances in the first two Tests against England. Furthermore, reports emerged that Iyer decided to skip the recent Ranji Trophy matches despite being fully fit.
With his decision not sitting well with the selectors, the BCCI decided to omit him from the central contracts list. However, the 29-year-old will return to the Mumbai side for the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy.
Speaking to Mid-day, Pandit gave his verdict and said:
"I will not say Shreyas must be included in a certain Grade, but he is definitely a player who can serve India in any format. He has had an injury issue, but it was solved. He is a good performer and even scored a century [105 against New Zealand in 2021 at Kanpur] on Test debut. In our future series, there may be some players who will not be in form, so naturally Shreyas will be there. He will play domestic cricket and can perform in the IPL. He is going to be useful for Indian cricket in any format."
Iyer, selected for the No.4 role in the 2023 World Cup, delivered the goods as per expectations. He finished the tournament as the third-highest run-getter for India, compiling 530 runs in 11 matches at 66.25 with two centuries and three fifties.
"He could have definitely fitted in any Grade" - Chandrakant Pandit
Reacting to the BCCI dropping Iyer from the list of contracted players, the 62-year-old stated it shouldn't affect him a lot, but expects him to fight for his spot. Pandit added:
"It's surprising that Shreyas was not considered for the annual contracts, because he is India's all-format player. We don't know the reason, but I think he should walk into the pool of India's contracted players. He could have definitely fitted in any Grade. Knowing Shreyas, I don't think it will affect him. He will definitely fight and perform. He has that fighting spirit."
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer is expected to play an important part for KKR in IPL 2024, which will commence on March 22.