Shreyas Iyer of India has surely had a fantastic year in 2022. The right-hander has made tremendous development across formats, and his crucial innings against Bangladesh in the second Test in Chattogram was undoubtedly the cherry on top.
There has been much discussion about how frequently Iyer has struggled against short-pitched deliveries. Many dismissed him at the outset of the year, fearing that his flaws would be revealed at the international level.
Nonetheless, the 27-year-old managed to play some magnificent knocks across forms, proving his detractors wrong. With KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Hardik Pandya being mentioned as potential contenders for the future Indian leadership, Shreyas Iyer has quietly entered the race and may have convinced quite a few that he is the genuine thing.
On that topic, here are three reasons why Shreyas Iyer, at least in the longer forms, should be seriously regarded as a potential captaincy possibility for the Men in Blue.
Gautam Gambhir's return to the Delhi Daredevils in the 2018 IPL wasn't ideal, as he dropped himself midway through the competition. A youthful Shreyas Iyer was subsequently given the reins, and while the Daredevils did not make the playoffs, their performances improved dramatically.
The franchise was renamed Delhi Capitals, and under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, they made it to the IPL 2019 playoffs as well as their first IPL final in 2020, only to lose to a star-studded Mumbai Indians team. He missed the first half of the IPL 2021 due to a significant shoulder injury, but he played the second half under Rishabh Pant's leadership.
Iyer was not retained by Delhi ahead of the major auction in 2022, and he was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Iyer shown tremendous temperament as a captain under duress in Delhi, and with age on his side, he may be considered a long-term contender for Team India leadership.
In Chattogram, India was reeling at 74/7, chasing 145 to win against Bangladesh. While the rest of India's top order failed to produce, Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin absorbed the strain and delivered the winning blow.
To put the heat back on the opposition, Iyer began taking on spinners Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan. This was one of several critical hits he has delivered for India, particularly this year.Iyer has often demonstrated during the 2019 World Cup that he may be the answer to India's ODI No. 4 issue. When it comes to captaining the Men in Blue, his calm demeanour and ability to gauge the situation will come in helpful.
The most compelling justification for recommending Iyer as India's future captain has been his consistency. Despite his short-ball vulnerability, the right-hander has been productive with the bat, finishing as India's greatest run-scorer across forms in 2022.
His consistency in making the most of every chance that has come his way, whether in white-ball and red-ball cricket, is simply admirable. Such exceptional consistency, along with a cool disposition to comprehend any circumstance, might be the ideal combo required in the future Indian captain.The year 2022 has undoubtedly been a brilliant one for India's Shreyas Iyer. The right-hander has made some incredible progress across formats, and his clutch knock against Bangladesh in the second Test in Chattogram was perhaps the icing on the cake.
You must be logged in to post a comment.