India won the second encounter against New Zealand in a five-match T20I series on Sunday. It was second time in a row when Shreyas Iyer was asked to show his ability to handling pressure in a chase, and he did the job both times. After being the Man of the Match in the first T20I, Iyer played a handy knock of 33-ball 44* in the second match.
Iyer came in to bat when India lost skipper Virat Kohli in the 6th over. They needed 94 more runs and the ask was tough considering the deck wasn't easy to bat.
But he ensured they don't any more wickets until the game is sealed. He was out in the 17 over as India took 2-0 lead in the series just six balls after his dismissal.
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Talking about the chase, Iyer revealed the inspiration comes from Kohli. "I personally feel that you have a fair idea of how many runs you are going to chase and at what run-rate you have to chase them. Virat Kohli is the perfect example when he goes out to bat and the way he plans his innings. I learn a lot from him personally, the way he grinds out and he tries to finish the game. That's the best part about him," Iyer said.
The 25-year-old added Rohit Sharma's ability to make any opportunity count motivates him.
"(I) Also (learn from) Rohit Sharma, whenever he's given an opportunity, he makes the best use of it. All these amazing characters in the team set a really good example for us youngsters. There's a lot to learn from them and that's what I try to apply whenever I go out there. I think that I have to stay not out and it really helps me grind throughout that middle period and when the time comes, I take on the bowlers. That's how you plan your innings when you are chasing," he said.
Iyer knows how important it is to rotate strike. "You have to play all sorts of shots and take singles. As well as when you want to hit sixes, you have to be aware of the fact that you have to create that moment for yourself. You have to give yourself that time to get set. That's what I usually do."
Shreyas has started to put a price on his wicket, as he talked about staying in the middle for long.
"I have realized playing so many matches that as long as I stay on the wicket, I tend to see the ball really well and I can take on the bowlers," he opined.
Despite the size of Eden Park being very short, Iyer said hitting sixes isn't as easy as it looks here. "You do feel that the boundaries are close and you can easily clear them. But at the back of your mind, I like to give myself some time and I also count the spinners' overs and gauge how many they will bowl.
"If you give yourself time and charge at them in the later overs, your eyes are also better set and once you do that, it doesn't matter how big the boundaries are. You can still easily clear them," he added.
Iyer put up a partnership with the man of the match KL Rahul to win India the game. He said there was no scoreboard pressure with only 133 to chase. "It makes you feel a little composed while chasing 130 because, at the back of the mind, you know that you have to maintain a run-rate of about 7. At the same time, you curtail the risk as well. It was very important for us to keep at the back of the mind that we need to keep rotating the strike and when the time comes, we need to take charge of the bowlers."
(With PTI Inputs)
