India batter Shreyas Iyer got to another confident start in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 but failed to capitalize upon it and threw his wicket away at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. Iyer succumbed to the strategy of bowling the short-pitched delivery from New Zealand pacer Trent Boult and went back to the pavilion for 33 off 29 balls. He had a golden opportunity to play a match-winning knock for the team in the ongoing 10-team showpiece.
Iyer tried to pull the short-pitched ball from the left-arm pacer and was caught in the deep by Devon Conway as India lost their third wicket in the run chase of 274 against the Blackcaps. Iyer’s dismissal left former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar, who was Team India’s batting coach, saying the Mumbaikar fell prey to his ego as the bowler made him attempt to pull shots every time.
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“You can’t play pull shots on every ball. We know Shreyas Iyer has worked a lot on his pull shots lately but you cannot play it all the time. Shreyas should learn from a senior player at the other end, Virat Kohli. Kohli is not looking to overdo things and attempt one shot all the time. He shouldn’t let his ego get the better of him as the way he was dismissed today reflected the same,” said Sanjay Bangar.
Here is the video of the dismissal of Shreyas Iyer:
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Earlier, after his dismissal for 19 in the match against Bangladesh in Pune, Iyer came under the firing line for letting the opportunities slip away from his hands. The right-handed batter from Mumbai played a rash shot and failed to convert the start into a good knock.
Former India captain and legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar was visibly miffed with the intent of the Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill against Bangladesh and both the batters failed to leave a mark in Dharamsala as well. “He (Shreyas Iyer) lost his patience. He was batting on 19 and threw his wicket away. Shubman Gill (was batting on) fifty (52), threw his wicket away,” said Sunil Gavaskar on Star Sports after the India-Bangladesh match.
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Shreyas Iyer’s lack of patience has been a concern for India for a while now. He is a talented batter with a lot of potential, but he needs to learn to curb his aggression and build partnerships. If he can do that, he will be a valuable asset to the Indian team.
