Absolutely Shreyasi! A misunderstood leader who never gave up

NEW DELHI: More than a year ago, Shreyas Iyer exuded confidence as he settled into a chair to address the media ahead of the IPL 2024 final in Chennai. His slow walk, his cap falling below his eye line and his favorite Guns N’ Roses song playing on his phone. Yellow sneakers shone as brightly as a pair of solitaires in his ears, and an impromptu salute to “See You Again” (a song by Wiz Khalifa) from his counterpart Pat Cummins quieted the room before everyone got down to business.The lineup for this season was far from ideal for the right-hander; he lost his major contract, was not considered “serious” for the game and, despite a stellar campaign at the 2023 ODI World Cup, dropped off the radar.He repeatedly mentioned that his back needed attention, but no one listened. His failure to convert starts in the first two home Tests against England in 2024 led the selectors to make a tough decision. He again mentioned back discomfort while playing long innings, but the rumor mill worked overtime to find out he wasn’t “serious.” “Did you see him run out of Ben Stokes?” they would have added, but Iyer chose to ignore the outside noise and, as they say, control the controllables.An IPL title with the Kolkata Knight Riders followed, but his career was far from normal. His batting continued to rage on the domestic circuit, but the selectors found “no place” for him in the Test and T20I squads. He was leading up to the 2025 Champions Trophy and was not in the team’s original plans for the playing XI. However, when the opportunity arose due to Virat Kohli’s teasing in the previous bilateral series, Iyer took it up. He nonchalantly revealed a late call-up after a brisk half-century.The Champions Trophy happened, he did his bit during the celebrations and returned from Dubai with a winner’s medal and India’s unsung MVP tag. On slow surfaces, he was the glue that held the middle order together and played a major role in helping India win another ICC title.Months later, he accepted the challenge of the Punjab Kings in the IPL and enhanced his reputation as a leader who not only talks the talk but talks the talk. Another IPL final as captain meant he made life difficult for the selectors.In the corridors of the BCCI, talk of remuneration for his leadership has intensified and his strong domestic performances have helped significantly. Every time the Indian squad didn’t mention his name, the outcry was unreal and not just limited to the T20I format. His strong outings in Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy kept him in Test talks, but that momentum came to a screeching halt when he had to accept the tough call of withdrawing from the multi-day grind. It came again with the risk of being judged, but he chose his well-being, realizing that his back couldn’t take it.Then came a promotion to ODI vice-captain, followed by a nasty near-fatal fall in Australia on a sensational catch during an ODI series. When things were finally getting back on track, fate took a different path and put him in a hospital bed in another country and away from cricket. The original estimate kept him out of cricket for months, missing out on the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Mumbai – a tournament that could have helped him make more noise about T20I selection ahead of the World Cup.He shut down, went on vacation with his close friends, and came back determined to hit the ground running when the medical team reported no red flags. Strength training resumed, jogging began and after a few clean sessions with the kids’ coach Pravin Amr, he reported to the BCCI CoE in the hope of getting clearance for the ODI series against New Zealand.“I want to get this clearance and get back to playing cricket. I will leave Bengaluru only with the clearance,” he told his inner circle as he spent New Year’s Eve alone in a hotel.Just when everything seemed to be on track, he hit another hurdle as the Return To Play process neared selection day. The BCCI medical team followed the parameters for multi-day cricket and it was only after Iyer reminded them that he was not playing the format that the stakeholders agreed to give him the necessary nod, subject to his approval. After the formalities were completed, his return took place as well as his return to the T20I squad as a back-up, but the wait for an introduction in the shortest format will be longer.Suryakumar Yadav led India to the title, but his batting form and the selectors’ planning ahead of the T20 World Cup kept Iyer in the conversation. Elevation in the management line-up over fifty years was part of the big picture that Ajit Agarkar & Co. aimed. Another strong start for the Punjab Kings, coupled with his consistency at No.4, made the decision-makers read the writing on the wall.Almost a month before the selection meeting for the Ireland-England T20I, a consensus was reached for a move from Surya and Iyer got the nod. Even the late decline of the Punjab kings did not change their mind. They came to the decision after considering his performance in the last two seasons with the bat and as captain. There were other options on the table, but none came close.However, the rumor came back in full force and there were suggestions that head coach Gautam Gambhir was not in favor of Iyer’s appointment. KKR’s 2024 season was used to support the claim as Iyer unapologetically mentioned that he never took credit for winning the title.But the thinking never changed. It was always about winning and doing it at all costs. Even if it meant putting his body on the line, months after surviving a near-fatal injury. He wouldn’t hesitate to fly through the air right outside the Mumbai Indians dugout to silence the roaring Wankhede crowd in the IPL. As his arms spread as if to say to the thousands, “Now speak,” he didn’t care. He got a wicket, the side was put in a better position and that’s all that matters to him.On 6 June, he virtually attended the selection meeting as the captain of Ireland and England T20Is. After completing his duties, he will reach the Wankhede to take part in a T20 Mumbai League match against a side led by Suryakumar Yadav, the incumbent whom he replaced as captain.‘See you Again’ would be an appropriate humming number, but Iyer would prefer a line from Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’.

Do you think Shreyas Iyer deserves to be a regular in the Indian cricket team?