India’s star batter, who is currently not part of the Indian Test team, Shreyas Iyer, scored his first-class hundred in three years during the Ranji Trophy second-round match between Mumbai and Maharashtra on Saturday. This marks a comeback for Iyer, who has been struggling to find his form to re-enter the Test side of the Indian cricket team.
Walking in at number five after the wicket of an opener, Iyer joined young batsman Ayush Mhatre. The pair built a formidable partnership, crossing the 200-run mark on day two and driving Mumbai past the 300 mark.
Impressive Innings and long-awaited century
Iyer scored his century in 131 balls, with the help of nine fours and three sixes. This century was not just an ordinary achievement for the Mumbai batter; it ended a long drought for him, as he last played in a Test series against England in early 2024. Iyer’s century marks his return after three years, with his last century coming against New Zealand in Kanpur in November 2021. Along with this century, he has also completed 6,000 first-class runs.
Struggles in the domestic season 2024-25
Iyer had a poor start to the domestic season, beginning with the Dilip Trophy, where he could only score two half-centuries in six innings. Later, while playing for Mumbai, he managed to score a half-century in the Ranji Cup but had a disappointing performance against Baroda, getting out for a duck in the first innings and scoring only 30 runs in the second innings.
Iyer’s previous contributions and current challenges
Iyer was an integral part of the Indian side across ODI and Test till last year. The Mumbaikar particularly had a good outing in the ODI World Cup held in India, scoring 468 runs, including two centuries and three fifties, establishing himself as one of the team’s promising players. However, he struggled in the Test format and was dropped midway through the ongoing series against England. He has since been excluded from the squad for a long time, as he continues to work on regaining his form and securing his place back in the Indian squad.
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