Shreyas Iyer performed exceptionally well with the bat this year, finishing as the leading run-getter for India across formats with 1609 runs in 40 innings.

While Iyer was always a quality white-ball batter, he has proved his mettle in the longest format of the game over the past one year. He is the second highest run-scorer for India in Test cricket in 2022 with 422 runs in 5 Tests, including 4 fifties at an average of 60.28.

Shreyas also starred with the bat in India’s 2-0 victory over Bangladesh in the just-concluded Test series. He played a vital knock of 86 in India’s 188-run victory in the opening Test in Chattogram while he registered scores of 87 and 29* in the visitors’ thrilling three-wicket win in the second game in Dhaka.

Amid his impressive display, former cricketer Ajay Jadeja has backed Shreyas Iyer for the leadership role, saying that the latter is an ideal candidate and the board could look forward to naming him the Indian captain.

“It’s not just once, but Shreyas Iyer has done it twice-thrice in fact. Once he came back from injury, then he was struggling against the short-pitch bowling and he has worked to overcome it,” Jadeja said on Sony Sports Network.

“So when you learn to overcome one obstacle, you can put behind the others too. Let’s hope. Because 2-3 years ago, he was tipped as the next Indian captain. Now it’s a different scenario altogether with as many as 12 captains in Indian cricket, but he was touted to become the next skipper,” he added.

Shreyas Iyer also finished the year as India’s highest run-scorer in ODIs, amassing 724 runs from 15 innings at an average of 55.69 with one century and six fifties.

Lauding his consistency, Jadeja said: “He has scored runs consistently. He is averaging 60-70 this year in Test cricket and the temperament he showed on Day 4 was spectacular.”

“If look at that partnership carefully, Ashwin faced more balls and scored more runs, so he realised that just because he was the last recognised specialist batter, he only has to get the job done. And then the calmness he showed… it’s one thing to say ‘I love pressure situations. I thrive there’, but to do it is something else. For me, temperament has always held more significance than skills and ability because good temperament allows you to deliver and do justice to that skills,” he further remarked.