Sunil Gavaskar picked the “next big thing” in Indian cricket. India completed yet another series whitewash, a fifth consecutive at home under the new all-format leader Rohit Sharma.
India won by 238 runs on Monday to beat Sri Lanka in the pink-ball Test in Bengaluru to claim the series and hence win what was India’s last home contest in 2022. With India not playing a Test match until after the 2022 T20I World Cup in October, barring the one odd match in England, it is time to take a look at the future.
Sunil Gavaskar : Shreyas Iyer Looking Like The Next Big Thing In Indian Cricket
Shreyas Iyer performed impressively in the Bengaluru Test scoring 92 and 67 in the two innings to become the first Indian batter to score two half-century scores in a single Day-Night Test.
On a tricky Chinnaswamy track that offered uneven bounce and turn, the middle order batter laid the blueprint with his 98-ball 92 in the first innings that helped India finish with 252. In the second innings, he scored a brilliant 67 that saw India set a target of 477 against Sri Lanka.
When asked if Shreyas Iyer is the next big thing in Indian cricket, Gavaskar, in conversation with Star Sports, replied saying, “Yes certainly, he is looking like that.”
“Because anybody who plays the way he did…it is very attractive batting that he has, the shots that he has. He is a good looking young man. So it all points to the fact that in the next six-eight months he could be the next big thing in Indian cricket,” he added.
Shreyas Iyer has played only 4 Tests but has amassed 388 runs averaging a respectable 55.43. He scored a ton on his debut against New Zealand. He averages 62 against Sri Lanka in this series accumulating 186 runs.
Shreyas Iyer Named Man Of The Match For the 50s In Both Innings
Shreyas Iyer was named the Player of the Match for his effort in the second Test.
“I have always dreamt about playing Test cricket for India, good feeling to come and contribute, want to keep this going,” he said in the post-match presentation.
Shreyas Iyer was on Monday voted the ICC ‘Men’s Player of the Month’ for February. He earned the award on the back of his brilliant white-ball exploits during the home series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka respectively last month.
He aggregated 204 runs without being dismissed across three innings against Sri Lanka in T20Is at a highly impressive strike rate of 174.36. He registered scores of 57*(28), 74*(44) and 73*(45) across three games.