Shreyas Iyer had been under increasing scrutiny during the World Cup 2023, having had a relatively quiet campaign with just one notable knock of 53* against Pakistan. This raised doubts about his place in the playing XI, especially with Suryakumar Yadav’s impactful performance in the previous match and the possibility of Hardik Pandya’s return.
Some experts questioned whether Iyer would be the one to make way for the returning all-rounder. However, Iyer put an end to the discussions with an impressive 82-run innings against Sri Lanka, marking his highest score in the tournament.
Criticism of Iyer’s performance had often revolved around his perceived vulnerability to the short ball, which had been a topic of discussion for over a year. After his remarkable innings against Sri Lanka, a reporter asked Iyer about his preparations for the upcoming match against South Africa, where fast bowlers would likely target this weakness.
Iyer, however, appeared unimpressed with the question and questioned the reporter’s assertion, asking, “When you say it’s a problem for me, what do you mean?”
The reporter clarified that it wasn’t necessarily a problem but had troubled him in the past. Iyer expressed his disappointment, believing that the perception of him being weak against the short ball was a creation of the media. He defended his abilities by citing the number of successful pull shots he had played for boundaries and explained that his experience at his home ground, the Wankhede Stadium, had helped him improve his game against short deliveries.
“Have you seen how many pull shots I’ve scored, especially that have gone for four? If you’re trying to hit a ball, you’re bound to get out anyway, irrespective of if it’s a short ball, if it’s overpitched and if I get bowled two or three times, you all would say, ‘he can’t play an inswinging ball, he can’t play a cut if the ball is seaming’,” Iyer said.
“We as players, we are bound to get out on any sort of deliveries. You guys have created that mahaul (atmosphere),” he added.
Shreyas giving clarification on his purported weakness against short balls..
— Shawstopper (@shawstopper_100) November 2, 2023
#ShreyasIyer pic.twitter.com/5FQP5hhACk
In the match itself, India dominated from start to finish. They posted a formidable total of 357 for 8, with Shubman Gill (92), Virat Kohli (88), and Iyer (82) as the top performers. The Indian pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah (1/8), Mohammed Siraj (3/16), and Mohammed Shami (5/18) dismantled Sri Lanka’s batting lineup, limiting them to just 55 runs.
