Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif gave his two cents in the longstanding debate around the No.4 position in India's limited-overs outfit.
Kaif, having assessed a number of options, backed Shreyas Iyer to cement a spot for himself in the line-up at the difficult position, which requires a player to be flexible and adaptable to the situation, opposition attack and the conditions.
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Iyer, who was among the candidates trialled for No.4 before the 2019 World Cup and dropped just after six games, has been brilliant in the middle-order since the end of the marquee event in the UK, showing excellent temperament and consistency at home and importantly, away.
"I am a huge fan of Shreyas Iyer," said Kaif on Aakash Chopra's youtube channel. "Firstly, he has come out of domestic cricket, having played many years there. He has not got an opportunity too quickly for India. He has played IPL for a number of years, scored many runs, then only his name came. His name has come at the right time because he is hungry. He is bored of playing domestic cricket and wants to play for India."
"He is mentally very sorted, has a great understanding of his game and his role. He doesn’t get angry easily and thinks a lot before speaking," he added. "He has gained a lot from captaining in the IPL because you learn to take responsibility. Since he has become captain, he has become a better player. India will not get a better player than Shreyas Iyer at No.4."
As assistant coach of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals (DC), Kaif has seen Iyer grow as a leader, a more responsible cricketer, which comes to the fore when he turns up for India.
Iyer was given Delhi franchise's captaincy mid-way through the 2018 edition of the IPL when Gautam Gambhir resigned from his position.
Under him, the team enjoyed one of its best campaigns last season, reaching the play-offs after seven years, with Iyer himself leading from the front, scoring 463 runs from 16 matches with three half-centuries.
"Captaincy made a huge difference (with Iyer)," thinks Kaif. "You won’t believe we have had a lot of meetings where we didn’t have the captain, we did the meeting and didn’t call the captain. Because he doesn’t like to talk too much. He knows about his game; he takes a little bit of information but doesn’t go too much in depth. So, we all understand that he is not a captain who should be made to sit and lectured for two hours."
“We figured out that we need to give him a little freedom and let him focus on the game. Whatever load we can take from outside, we will take. Whatever information Shreyas needs, he will take from us."
"He is gaining a lot from that because he is coming out of his comfort zone. When you are the captain, you also need to carry the team. He was not used to that but in the IPL, he got himself out of that comfort zone."
