Shreyas Iyer also talked about his struggle against short balls and the criticism he receives for it.
Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer has finally opened up about not being selected for Team India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Iyer was struggling against the short ball in the buildup to the ICC event which was played in Australia, and it played a role in his snub for the mega event.
However, Iyer was named a reserve player for the T20 World Cup 2022. Reacting to his snub, Iyer admitted that he was gutted after not getting a place in India’s T20 World Cup 2022 squad, as he always dreamed of representing his country on the biggest stage, but it did not demoralized him.
Shreyas Iyer told Hindustan Times: “It was disappointing. It is something that you dream as a kid, to represent your country at the biggest stage. Winning it for the team is also something which gives you the chills. But it was not that I was completely demotivated. I didn’t let that get into my mind.”
The 28-year-old continued, “I was just doing my things right. I focused on myself. I took a break, and went and played domestic cricket. It gave me more time to elevate my skills. At the end of the day, you want to gain respect from your teammates and parents. It is something that motivates you as a player.
It helps get the best out of you when under the pump and I love to do that. Whenever I am not feeling well, I interact with family and friends, try to take my mind off cricket so that I come back stronger. These are the small aspects I focus on; it has been going tremendously well for me.”
Speaking on his struggle against short balls and the criticism over the same, the right-hander said: “The talk that goes on outside tends to motivate me, get the best out of me. The more people talk about me, I listen to it and soak in the pressure. I tell myself I need to prove them wrong.”
Iyer signed off by saying, “That’s how I approach whenever I bat in the nets, or in the match. It acts as a kind of motivation. Even when I am playing against opposition who are chirping, I like to give it back because I feel it gets my rhythm going; it lifts me, makes me focus a lot.”
(Hindustan Times inputs)