[Watch] Shreyas Iyer throws away his wicket on 95 in Ranji Trophy final between Mumbai and Vidarbha
Team India and Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer threw away his wicket after scoring 95 in the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 final against Vidarbha on Tuesday (March 12) at the Wankhede Stadium.
After a disappointing knock of 9 (15) in the first innings, Iyer made amends and performed well in the second installment. He walked in at number 5 following the dismissal of Ajinkya Rahane.
Musheer Khan and Rahane had laid a good platform for a huge lead with their patient 130-run partnership. Shreyas Iyer took the baton from the Mumbai captain and extended his side's lead with a counter-attacking knock. His 168-run stand with Musheer Khan put Mumbai in the driver's seat.
En route to 95 (111), he smashed 10 fours and three sixes. However, the same aggression led to Shreyas Iyer's downfall as he perished trying to hit a six, missing out on a well-deserved century.
You can watch Iyer's dismissal in the video below:
"He could have definitely fitted in any Grade" - Chandrakant Pandit on Shreyas Iyer losing BCCI central contract
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Chandrakant Pandit extended support to Shreyas Iyer after he recently lost his central contract. Pandit pointed out that Iyer has been a consistent performer for India and felt that he would soon make a comeback into the team.
Speaking to Mid-day, Pandit 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."
Chandrakant Pandit continued:
"He will play domestic cricket and can perform in the IPL. He is going to be useful for Indian cricket in any format. 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."
KKR signed Shreyas Iyer at the IPL 2022 auction and appointed him as the captain. After leading them in 2022, he did not play a part in last season's campaign due to a back injury.