Shreyas Iyer has managed to establish himself in the Indian limited-overs team quite nicely and has set a goal of making his Test appearance sooner. Having scored more than 4500 runs and averaging over 50 in first-class cricket, the 26-year-old dreams of wearing the Indian whites and he believes it will become reality sooner than later.
Speaking to India Today's Boria Majumdar, Shreyas Iyer mentioned that he is excited to be part of the Indian Test team dressing room. He has recovered from the shoulder surgery which he had to undergo after injuring his shoulder against England earlier in the year.
"Yes, very much. Whenever I open the Indian cricket team's Instagram page and see the photos (of the Test team), I feel I want to be part of the red-ball team. It's because my journey started from red-ball. My Ranji Trophy scenarios and India A have been smooth so far. I personally feel I can be part of the Test team and help them be as consistent as they have going right now," Iyer said.
"It's definitely every player's dream to play all 3 formats. And very soon, it will happen. I am positive about it," he added.
Iyer has represented India A as well and is remembered for his double century against a touring Australian team in 2017 that had the likes of Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe.
"Test cricket tests you mentally and physically. It's not easy to play 5 days. I have done that in the past. We used to play back-to-back games in Ranji Trophy. If we reached the final, we played 11 games. That mental toughness is needed as it takes a toll on your mind and yeah definitely, this is totally a different level. I totally feel it would be fun to be part of that team because of the way they are going about," Iyer added.
While many teams have announced their squads for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 to be played in the UAE and Oman, India is yet to name its contingent and Shreyas Iyer hopes to be in the list for the ICC event.
"It's a great opportunity, especially after coming back from an injury to play in the IPL. After that the World Cup. These are the two biggest tournaments for an Indian cricketer to play at. We have always dreamed of being part of such an amazing time," Iyer told Sports Today.
"All these moments... the last four months. It has basically fuelled and propelled my mindset to keep working harder and smarter. No rest days for me at this point of time. Really looking forward to the matches which I am going to play right now," he said.
He was asked about how his spot in the Indian team has been taken by Suryakumar Yadav, who has impressed everyone in both T20Is and ODIs.
"It's you vs you always. And I don't compare myself to others. Obviously, there are many players who are there to take my position and there is so much competition but if I look at my performance in the last few years, it has been awesome. I just want to keep going beyond my abilities. Every day I am looking to become the best version of myself. I will do anything to be in the team and make sure my team wins. That’s my mindset at this point of time," Iyer said.
(India Today inputs)
