Ranji Trophy Final: Swashbuckling Shreyas Iyer drops anchor for team’s sake

Shreyas Iyer loves going after the attack no matter who the bowler is.

On Thursday, the situation was different. Mumbai needed him to stay at the crease. He curbed his instincts and stayed put.

His 240-minute stay at the crease that produced 82 runs off 137 deliveries and a 133-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav, not just gave Mumbai a chance to stay alive in the game but also provided a platform to go for a win. It also showcased his ability to be an all-weather batsman.

Iyer was set for another three figure mark, till he edged Chintan Gaja to ‘keeper Parthiv Patel.

Although, he did not shy away from going after the loose deliveries, Iyer did not fell prey to Gujarat bowler’s negative strategy of bowling away from the batsman. 

Usually a delivery that would be cut to the third-man or the point boundary, was left alone as it made its way to the wicket-keeper.

“It was really frustrating. At one time, I was getting bored leaving the ball because I like to play strokes. When the spinner came on, I took charge and decided to carry on,” he said.

“I wouldn’t say it was tough. Once you get to know the line and length the bowler is going to bowl, it’s quite easy. But at the same time, you need to score runs also.” 

Having scored heavily in the first two Ranji seasons, Iyer, this season, has not been the same. He, however, is not disappointed and wants to keep working.

“I’m not that disappointed because I’ve got 700 odd runs. I just have to forget about my previous performances, work hard and come back strong,” he said.