Shreyas Iyer -- Consistency And Calm Head Go Hand In Hand

Right-handed batter Shreyas Iyer made his international debut in 2017 as he played his maiden T20I on November 1, 2017, against New Zealand. One month later, he went on to play his first ODI match against Sri Lanka at Dharamsala. Over the course of his career, Shreyas has played 5 Tests, 33 ODIs, and 47 T20Is so far. In all three formats of the game, the player has shown that he has great resolve in his game. It is a testament to the calm head he has on his shoulders, that he was given the captaincy of Delhi Capitals pretty early on in his career.

Ricky Ponting, the head coach, and Sourav Ganguly, who was the then advisor of the franchise chose to groom Shreyas as the captain, and the player also did not disappoint as he played some crucial knocks under pressure situations.

Let's focus on Shreyas' numbers in the 50-over format in particular. The right-handed batter has played 33 ODIS, scoring 1,299 runs at an average of 48.11 with 2 centuries and 12 half-centuries. His strike rate is also more than respectable -- 98.48.

In the recently-concluded ODI series against South Africa, Shreyas was in brilliant form as he scored a sensational century in the second match of the three-match series in Ranchi. It is a testament to his remarkable ability to produce quality knocks in the 50-over format, that Shreyas now has more than 1,000 runs in just 33 games. 

When one talks about just 2022, Shreyas has scored 486 runs in the 50-over format. In this calendar year, he has registered one century and four half-centuries.

This comes on the back of growing talks regarding his technique against the short ball. However, it is important to note that South Africa had the likes of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada in their ranks, but Shreyas looked completely comfortable while tackling their short ball tactic.

Shreyas was also named as a standby for the Indian squad for the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia. The batter is not currently in Australia, but he has chosen to not take a rest, but rather play the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Mumbai.

For all the talks regarding his technique against the short ball, one must acknowledge that Shreyas has put up good numbers against pacers in the shortest format of the game. The right-handed batter has managed to strike the ball at 135.86 with an average of 40.25 against pacers in T20Is. 

When one talks about spin, his average this year in T20Is is 37, and the strike rate shoots up to 158.57. This is only bettered by Suryakumar Yadav among India batters who have played at least 50 balls from the spinners. 

When one talks about the shortest format of the game, Shreyas has played 47 T20Is, scoring 1,030 runs at an average of 32.18 and a strike rate of 136.06. 

His form in the shortest format is the biggest reason that Kolkata Knight Riders chose to go after him in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction this year, and then he was made the captain. The side might not have had a good outing this year, but for sure, it can be said that Shreyas will be leading the franchise for a long time, and he will make up for the core of the franchise.

Yes, there has been a short-ball problem with Shreyas off late but looking at how he has managed to stay consistent, showing a reliable head on his shoulders, there is no reason why Shreyas cannot be the match-winner in the longest format as well.

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