Indian middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer, who is known for his aggressive style, stated that he preferred to play attacking shots even when confronted with what he considered negative bowling strategies and expressed his desire to leave the ball in Test matches, claiming that it bores him in the longer format of the game.
The Mumbai-born batter returned to the Ranji Trophy after a five-year absence to prepare for the high-octane five-match Test series against England, which begins next week, as he warmed up with a run-a-ball 48 in Mumbai’s 10-wicket victory over Andhra at home.
Speaking to reporters after the game against Andhra, Shreyas Iyer stated that he will continue to play an attacking style of cricket regardless of the situation and that he wants to guide the team through difficult situations. He was also pleased with his performance in the Ranji Trophy in preparation for the series against England.
“I’m going to play attacking irrespective of the situation, And also when you bowl negative when you bowl safe and defensive at the start, you want to score runs and you need to take your team through up to a certain point. So that was my mindset and that’s why stuck with. Yeah, I was happy [with my knock] irrespective of the score,” Shreyas Iyer said.
There is fierce rivalry for a spot in India’s playing 11 for the England series following KL Rahul’s success in the middle order in South Africa, with KS Bharat likely to take the wicket-keeping duty as a specialist keeper. The Mumbai batsman has a point to prove after a poor performance of 0, 4*, 31, and 6 in two Tests in South Africa on challenging, seaming pitches.
It’s Important To Take One Match At A Time – Shreyas Iyer
Speaking on his place in the Indian T20I team, Shreyas Iyer claimed that he will not worry about things beyond his control and that he wants to take one game at a time and perform for the team against England in the five-match test series.
“See, right now I’m being in the present, I’ve finished the match which I was asked to play, I came, and I executed, so I’m happy with what I’m doing. Something that is not in my control, and I can’t be focusing on that. Coming here and winning the match was my focus and that’s what we did today”.
“It’s important to take one match at a time, not think about a five-match Test series. The team is only for the first two games. The motto would be to perform in the first two games and then look forward to the rest of the games,” Shreyas Iyer added.
The 29-year-old was dropped from the T20I team, and his chances of playing in the 2024 T20 World Cup in June are slim, given the rise of Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma. The Kolkata Knight Riders captain will be eager to perform well in the upcoming Indian Premier League to strengthen his case for inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup side in 2024.
