Belief and backing of players can do wonders. Shreyas Iyer is the best example of it. Not too long before the India vs Sri Lanka game, reports were circulating that the right-hand batter could make way for Ishan Kishan in the playing XI, owing to his low returns in the World Cup. However, Iyer scored a terrific 82 against the Lankans and scored a gritty 77 against South Africa on a spin-friendly wicket in Kolkata. Iyer shut his critics with his bat doing the talking. Speaking in the post-match presentation, Iyer thanked Rohit Sharma and management for showing belief and trust in him.
Shreyas Iyer said, “Thanks to the management & Rohit – they give me the clarity during the innings, it helped me a lot”.
Iyer came into the crease when India lost Gill and Rohit Sharma after a solid start in the powerplay. But with Keshav Maharaj coming into the attack, the ball suddenly started spinning. Iyer took his time to settle and later, mixed caution with aggression. The 28-year-old’s innings allowed Virat Kohli to take his time and drop anchor. Iyer’s innings helped India post a huge total of 325.
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Rohit Sharma always backed Iyer to play in the World Cup ahead of left-hander Ishan Kishan, despite the former not hitting the straps in the World Cup early. But since Iyer had performed so well at number four and scored the most runs in 2022. Rohit wanted to back his best player at number four, and it has now paid off.
Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli power India to record 8th consecutive game
Speaking about the match, India continued their winning streak as they thrashed South Africa by 243 runs to win eight games on the bounce. Virat Kohli scored a scintillating 101, and Ravindra Jadeja picked up five wickets with the ball in hand.