'Bhai, agar tune kal 100 maar diya'- Shreyas Iyer recalls Shubman Gill's words before his India Test debut

Shreyas Iyer recalled his maiden Test century that he smashed against New Zealand in Kanpur.

Shreyas Iyer celebrates his debut Test century vs NZ | GBCCI

Indian batter Shreyas Iyer revealed Shubman Gill’s words a day before he became the 16th Indian cricketer to hit a century on his Test debut against New Zealand last year.

Iyer also revealed that he didn’t expect to get his first call-up to the Indian team for the home series against New Zealand. The right-hander further said that it was a totally different feeling to receive his debut cap from Sunil Gavaskar and then join the elite list of players who smashed a hundred on their Test debut.

Shreyas Iyer said on The Bombay Journey YouTube Show presented by Mashable India: “I got a call-up right after the T20 World Cup for the series against New Zealand. The T20Is did not go as well as I had planned because I was coming to bat in the last 2-3 overs and I was getting out going for the big shots from ball one. Then I got selected for the Tests, which I wasn't expecting at that time.”

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He continued, “The players were already there so even though I had performed to be there in the team I wasn't expecting the call-up. I was prepared in my mind that whatever will happen, I am going to take it heads up, I'll be in my high spirits. I'll take it like a boss.

So, I did my preparations well and ticked all the boxes before the game. Shubman Gill told me 'agar tune kal 100 maar diya, toh aisa aisa hoga...(If you score a 100 tomorrow, different things will happen with you' and all that. I don't remember what we were talking about. And next day when I started, I had a feeling like it's written. The next day, I completed it in 2 overs by hitting four boundaries.”

Iyer, in his maiden outing for India in whites, had scored 105 off 171 balls in Kanpur last year. New Zealand had India in a spot of bother at 145/5 before Iyer steadied the innings and put on 121 runs with Ravindra Jadeja who scored a half-century of his own.

Iyer signed off by saying, “It was one of the best feelings. It's hard to express in words to get a Test cap from Sunil Gavaskar sir. It was like a fairytale for me... then get a century because not many have done that. It was a brilliant achievement as well and also to represent the country and do it when the world is watching you, is a phenomenal feeling. For 10 days, I couldn't reply to messages.”

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 15 Dec, 2022

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