Top 3 Shreyas Iyer knocks in T20Is
Shreyas Iyer is one of the finest batsmen in India presently. He has done very well in international cricket whenever the limited opportunities to play for India have come his way. He was the captain of the Delhi Capitals (DC) for 3 years. He has now been signed up by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for ₹12.25 cr through this year's IPL mega auction.
Iyer has an impressive T20I record. The stylish right-hander has scored 662 runs in 30 innings at an average of 30.09 and a strike rate of 137.06, with four half-centuries. He has batted in different positions as per the requirements of the team.
On that note, let's take a look at Iyer's top 3 batting performances for India in T20 cricket so far.
Best innings by Shreyas Iyer in T20Is
#3 37(18) v England, Ahmedabad 2021
England won the toss and opted to bowl first in the fourth match of this series. India were 2-1 down in the 5-match contest, making this a must-win game for the Men in Blue. Suryakumar Yadav played his first innings in international cricket in this match.
Yadav batted well and kept the scoring rate at a decent level. India's top 3 in this match - Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli - were dismissed without major contributions.
Yadav built a crucial partnership with Rishabh Pant for the 4th wicket, adding 40 runs in 4.4 overs. Shreyas Iyer came in to bat at 110/4 in the 14th over after Surya was dismissed for 57.
Right from the beginning, the then DC captain went after England's bowlers. This was precisely what the team needed at that time. He hit two fours off his first 3 deliveries against Sam Curran and allowed the momentum provided by Yadav and Pant to sustain.
He went on to hit Mark Wood for a couple of cheeky boundaries as well. The 27-year old then took on Chris Jordan, hitting him for a four and a six. He got out in the final over of the innings.
His intent in this knock was a fresh change from the usual approach that he adopts. This power-packed innings of Iyer proved to be vital as India won the game by just 8 runs.
#2 57*(28) v Sri Lanka, Lucknow 2022
A cracking half-century for @ShreyasIyer15 👏👏.
His 4th in T20Is.
Live - bit.ly/INDvSL-1STT20I #INDvSL @Paytm https://t.co/udcM4uuaAY
Sri Lanka won the toss and put India in to bat in the first T20I of this series, in Lucknow. Ishan Kishan, who struggled in the last series against the Windies, came out all guns blazing in the powerplay while Rohit Sharma rotated the strike. India scored 58 runs without the loss of any wickets in the first six overs.
After the field restrictions were lifted, Rohit started batting with more intent. The duo added 111 runs for the first wicket before Rohit was dismissed in the 13th over. Shreyas Iyer walked in to bat at No. 3. He took his time to settle down - making 17 runs off his first 14 balls.
However, after Kishan got out for a well-made 89 in the 17th over, Iyer made sure to increase the scoring rate. He hit two excellent sixes over long on and kept hitting fours against Dushmantha Chameera and Chamika Karunaratne in the final three overs. He brought up his half-century off just 25 deliveries, one of his fastest in T20 internationals.
India won the match comfortably by 62 runs, continuing their winning streak in white-ball cricket under Rohit Sharma.
#1 58*(29) v New Zealand, Auckland 2020
India captain Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to field in the first T20I of this three-match series against New Zealand, in Auckland. Colin Munro (59 off 42 balls), Kane Williamson (51 off 26 balls), and Ross Taylor (54 off 27 balls), all chipped in with half-centuries. Martin Guptill also gave the team a great start at the top of the order with a quick-fire 30 off just 19 balls.
Shreyas Iyer came in to bat after KL Rahul was dismissed in the 10th over for a blistering 56 off 27 balls. India needed another 89 runs in the next 10 overs with 8 wickets in hand. However, Kohli also got out for 45 in the 13th over with the scoreboard reading 121/3.
Iyer then hit 5 fours and 3 sixes in his 29-ball unbeaten knock. His presence ensured that India were able to chase down the target comfortably. He stitched small but vital partnerships with Dube and Pandey to take the team home.