Big shoes to fill, Shreyas can tap into current momentum

Mumbai’s Shreyas Iyer, drafted into the squad for the fourth and final Test as cover for Virat Kohli, is among the top young batsmen to watch out for.

Shreyas Iyer has steadily built his career. He was part of the India U-19 World Cup squad in 2014 in the UAE, but played only three matches, in which he scored 161 runs.

Iyer’s U-19 World Cup exploits though were enough for the Mumbai selectors to draft him into the Ranji Trophy team.

After an average performance in the middle order, former India batsman Pravin Amre, who is also his coach from his early days, decided to promote him in the batting order, which paid off handsomely. Iyer ended up as Mumbai’s leading run-getter in his debut Ranji season (2014-15), with 809 runs at an average of 50.56.

Several former players reckoned Iyer should be fast-tracked into the India team. Though the India cap did not arrive, the aggressive batsman got a Rs. 2.6 crore IPL contract with Delhi Daredevils in the 2015 auction. Iyer produced a good show in the IPL on debut, bagging the emerging player award after aggregating 439 runs in 14 matches as an opening batsman.

Back to the first-class grind, the challenge now was to replicate or better the previous season’s efforts. Iyer amassed 1,321 runs at an average of 73.38, which included a century in the final against Saurashtra to help Mumbai clinch their 41st Ranji title.

Iyer, 22, had a slow start to the last domestic season, but he picked up momentum, helping Mumbai reach the Ranji final, where they lost to Gujarat.

However, he signed off the season on a high.

In the drawn tour game against Australia at the Brabourne Stadium last month, Iyer slammed an unbeaten 202 off just 210 deliveries. Although spearhead Mitchell Starc did not play, Iyer smashed spinners Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe all over the park.

Although filling in for your skipper can be a daunting task, Iyer only needs to look within the dressing room. Karun Nair, an injury replacement for Ajinkya Rahane in the England series, ended up smashing 303 not out in the Chennai Test.

SHREYAS MAINTAINED HIS GOOD RUN IN THE IPL WHERE HE BAGGED THE EMERGING PLAYER AWARD AFTER TALLYING 439 RUNS IN 14 GAMES.