Mohammad Kaif hailed Shreyas Iyer for his batting abilities across all three formats as he performed exceedingly well in Indian colours this year. Iyer has been the leading run-getter for India this year across formats, he has shown consistency in both red and white-ball cricket at the same time he played some crucial knocks in tricky situations to rescue the team.
Iyer also played a valiant 86-run knock against Bangladesh in the first innings of opening Test to help India take a healthy lead. The talented batter showed resilience on the tricky surface and shared a crucial 149-run partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara to revive the Indian innings after early wickets.
Also Read | ‘No Victory Comes Easy’: Stand-in India Captain KL Rahul Praises His Team For Dominant Show
Kaif compared Iyer’s batting technique with legendary captain MS Dhoni and said even though the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning skipper doesn’t play the conventional shots but he still managed to score big runs and win matches for India.
“We always talk about Dhoni that he doesn’t look good but score runs and wins matches. Shreyas Iyer also has the same class, he knows how to make runs. There is a weakness, gets out while playing the pull shot but despite that, he has a good record in 2022,” Kaif said on Sony Sports while reviewing India’s performance in the first Test.
Kaif also talked about Iyer’s knock against Bangladesh and said he was the prime reason behind India taking the crucial lead which eventually helped them in winning the contest.
“He is in good form and scoring in every match. It is a big thing to score in the first innings. India got the big lead because of his innings. He plays good drives and uses his feet as well, he is a complete batter,” he said.
Iyer has been under the scanner for his struggles against the short balls but Kaif feels that every batter has a weakness and they have to deal with it.
FIFA World Cup 2022 Points Table | FIFA World Cup 2022 Schedule | FIFA World Cup 2022 Results | FIFA World Cup 2022 Golden Boot
“He has issues against the bouncer but every batter has some or other weakness. It will remain throughout his life, he will have to deal with it always, but what he has done is praiseworthy.”
“Shreyas Iyer scored a century on his Test debut against New Zealand in Kanpur. The knock he played in this Test match was also fantastic. He knows how to score in all areas, plays spin well, goes to the pitch of the ball and defends, plays cuts off the back foot, and lofted shots down the ground,” he said.
Get the latest Cricket News, Schedule and Cricket Live Scores here