(BCCI Credit)
Shreyas Iyer, the accomplished Indian cricketer and victorious captain of the Indian Premier League 2024, shared insights into his disappointment regarding a perceived lack of communication and unfavorable decisions following the conclusion of the ODI World Cup 2023.
In a candid video posted on his YouTube channel, the batsman shed light on his omission from the BCCI’s annual central contracts list, despite delivering a stellar performance during India’s ODI World Cup 2023 campaign. Iyer amassed an impressive 530 runs at an average of 66.25, featuring two centuries and three half-centuries.
Despite his remarkable display on the international stage, Iyer found himself excluded from the BCCI’s list for the period spanning October 2023 to September 2024. This exclusion hinted at his and Ishan Kishan’s prioritization of the IPL over domestic cricket.
Addressing the matter, Iyer disclosed his intention to take a break post the ODI World Cup to focus on enhancing his physical fitness and overall well-being.
“I had a tremendous World Cup and I wanted to take a break after that, work on my body (and) build some strength around certain areas,” Iyer said in a video on his YouTube page.
“Due to lack of communication, there were some decisions that didn’t go in my favour. But at the end of the day, the bat is always going to be in my hand and it’s on me how to perform and win trophies,” he added.
Despite his absence from the Indian team, Shreyas Iyer has bounced back remarkably, clinching the Ranji Trophy and steering Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in IPL 2024. His exceptional batting skills and leadership qualities have been on full display.
Iyer attributes his resurgence to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, where he regained his batting rhythm following a back surgery in April 2023. He acknowledges that post-surgery, he initially refrained from pushing himself to bat for extended periods, but the support and training at the academy helped rebuild his confidence.
“After the surgery, I was at NCA, practising in the nets. I have never batted for so long in my life. I used to always restrict myself from batting in the nets because I complained that the wickets weren’t that great,” he said.
Suddenly, I just told myself that ‘put yourself in tough situations because the war is won outside the field, not on the field’,” he further commented.
Iyer reflected on the necessity of pushing his limits and breaking out of his rut to achieve success. He acknowledges that challenging himself more has been instrumental in his recent achievements, such as winning the IPL.
“When you play with your mind when you challenge your mind to put yourself in tough situations and you decide for yourself whether you’re going to win or not,” Iyer added.
