India’s squad for the upcoming five-match Test tour of Australia is expected to be announced within this month. Several out-of-favour players are pushing hard for their selection by performing well in the ongoing domestic season, and Shreyas Iyer is one of them.
Shreyas, who was dropped from the Indian Test side earlier this year, has featured in each of the three domestic games for Mumbai this season, which includes the heavyweights' title win in the Irani Cup after 27 years. He made 57 and 8 in the clash against the Rest of India side.
The right-hander slammed a match-winning 142 last week in Mumbai’s second round Ranji Trophy match against Maharashtra, and now he wishes to grab the opportunity to play in Australia and ‘leave a mark’.
After losing his place in the Test side, Shreyas was left out of the BCCI central contract list. However, he took small steps towards redemption.
Shreyas Iyer led KKR to the IPL 2024 title win and then returned to the Indian dressing room for the Sri Lanka ODIs. Moreover, he represented Mumbai in the Duleep Trophy, Irani Cup and the ongoing Ranji Trophy, obeying BCCI’s command to play domestic cricket when not on national duty.
In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, the middle-order batter expressed his desire to feature in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“As a young boy from Worli to now as a national player, I am living the dream of representing India in every single format that I had as a child. Playing in Australia, especially in a Border-Gavaskar series, is one of the biggest challenges in cricket. The conditions, the rivalry, and the intensity demand everything from you, and these are the moments you want to be part of as a cricketer. I’m preparing myself to grab that opportunity and leave a mark,” Iyer said.
While Shreyas is aware of the cut-throat competition to make the Test squad, he is keen to grab the opportunity with both hands.
“I love being in those situations where the pressure is high. These are the challenges that push you to grow across formats, and I’ve been working on fine-tuning my game to be ready for any format. The competition for places in Indian cricket at the moment is greater than ever before because of the sheer amount of talent that exists in India. There are now a lot more avenues as well for the players to make an impression and make their mark and catch the eyes of the selectors,” Iyer stated.
“You have to make an impact every single time you’re on the pitch – that is what I aspire to do. When I get the chance, I will be ready to make an impact because performing at the highest level for India is what it’s all about,” he further remarked.
Shreyas Iyer has represented India in 14 Tests so far, amassing 811 runs at an average of 36.86, including one hundred and five half-centuries.
