Shreyas Iyer reckons that no batsman can chase down the total better than the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli and he wants to emulate on a consistent basis in the coming days. With a half-century and 44 off 33 balls in the successful chases in the first two T20Is, Iyer is fast becoming another veteran chase master for the Indian team apart from its talismanic skipper.

Talking to the reporters after the game on Sunday, Iyer said, “I personally feel that you have a fair idea how many runs you are going to chase and at what run-rate you have to chase them. Virat Kohli is the perfect example when he goes out to bat and the way he plans his innings. I learn a lot from him personally, the way he grinds out and he tries to finish the game. (I) Also (learn from) Rohit Sharma, whenever he’s given an opportunity, he makes the best use of it.”

Iyer has also been known for his penchant for hitting big sixes but he also understands the value of rotating the strike as a middle-order batsman.

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The middle-order further explained, “You have to play all sorts of shots and take singles. As well as when you want to hit sixes, you have to be aware of the fact that you have to create that moment for yourself. You have to give yourself that time to get set. I have realized playing so many matches that as long as I stay on the wicket, I tend to see the ball really well and I can take on the bowlers.”

Eden Park is one of the smallest grounds in the world but Iyer feels that doesn’t make the six-hitting easier. He said that despite the close boundaries are close, he likes to give himself some time and once his eye is set, it doesn’t matter how big the boundaries are. He did admit that chasing 133 was easier as he knew that there was no pressure of scoreboard on either him or KL Rahul.

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Iyer concluded, “It makes you feel a little composed while chasing 130 because, at the back of the mind, you know that you have to maintain a run-rate of about 7. And at the same time, you curtail the risk as well. It was very important for us to keep at the back of the mind that we need to keep rotating the strike and when the time comes, we need to take charge of the bowlers.”