India’s outcast batsman Shreyas Iyer has claimed that he is in his best possible form ahead of Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening match of IPL 2024 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The ongoing edition, which began last night in Tamil Nadu with a clash between CSK and RCB, will be only the second season in which Iyer captains the two-time champions.
He had to miss the entire 2023 season due to a back injury and also to stay fresh for India’s Asia Cup and Cricket World Cup commitments. Shreyas Iyer has had a turbulent last few months both on and off the field. It all started with India’s all-format tour of South Africa in December-January.
While he put up a decent performance in the only ODI match he played against South Africa, scoring 52, his form dropped drastically from the middle order during the red-ball series. The Indians, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, were hoping to claim their first win in a red-ball series in South Africa but eventually came back with a 1-1 draw. Shreyas Iyer did not make any significant contribution in the 2 tests as he scored 31, 6, 0 and 4*.
Shreyas Iyer says he doesn’t want to dwell on the past
Shreyas Iyer then had a very good chance to make amends in the five-match Test series at home against England, but he had to drop out completely, after his poor performance in the first two Tests. Iyer then posted mediocre scores of 35, 13, 27 and 29 in the 4 innings of Test matches played in Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam.
As a result, the team management overlooked him for the remaining 3 Tests and then a few days later, the BCCI also rejected Iyer from a central contract. He did so due to his unwillingness to play in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai, but a few days after that contractual snub, Iyer scored 7 in the Ranji SF against Tamil Nadu.
And then, as Mumbai sealed a place in the final against Vidarbha, Shreyas Iyer posted scores of 7 and 95 in his team’s 42nd first-class title win. He is now preparing for the IPL 2024 season and in a recent press conference, Iyer stated that he is no longer looking back.
“If you think too much about the past or the future, I personally think you make a lot of mistakes. So, that’s what I’ve learned over a period of time: that whatever is in your power, you should make the most of it.” – Iyer told reporters at Eden Gardens.
Iyer updates on his physical progress
Shreyas Iyer then shed light on his physical progress after the recurring back injury that has been troubling him for a while now. He stated that he is very confident and that he feels in the best possible shape and stated that his preparation has been very qualitative.
“Right now, if I look at myself, I feel like I’m in the best shape possible. I played many years in the IPL, so it’s not like I’m completely away from it. Personally, my preparation has been top-notch.” – Iyer concluded.