India returned empty-handed from the New Zealand ODIs, losing the 3-match series 1-0. However, the team is returning with a lot of positives and one of them is young batter, Shreyas Iyer. The dominance of rain didn’t allow the tour to commence in a fully-fledged manner. But whatever chance the Mumbai batter got; he gave the best possible output to help his team overcome difficult circumstances.
Iyer scored 80 off 76 in the first ODI and a 59-ball 49 in the 3rd face-off in Christchurch. While, the Indian batting, especially the middle order, wobbled on most occasions, the right-hand batter never went off-track.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra seemed to be in awe of Iyer. In his latest YouTube video, the cricketer-turned-commentator called the 27-year-old a ‘dynamite’ in ODIs.
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“Shreyas Iyer in One-Day cricket – the guy is a different kind of a beast! You might feel that he might get stuck against the short ball or the moving ball, but we need to understand that every format is different, and we need to look at it accordingly. And Shreyas Iyer in One-Day cricket is dynamite,” Chopra said in his latest YouTube video.
“Who could be so consistent in ODIs or in any form? But this guy is. If we keep T20Is aside, he is sensational in the 50-over format. He scores continuously, gets disturbed by the short balls as well but he has managed to tackle that,” he added.
The Indian team will travel to Bangladesh to play three One-Day Internationals and a couple of Test matches against the hosts. The tour also marks the return of seniors like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul who were given a rest following the T20 World Cup 2022. Meanwhile, a few players will fly directly from New Zealand to join the squad in Bangladesh.
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Chopra opined that the management must make a place for Iyer in the playing XI, citing his sublime form.
“The seniors will return in the Bangladesh tour and some of the players will also reach there directly from New Zealand Iyer is one such fortunate guy to be there. I won’t suggest that he should bat at No. 3 as it’s the position of Virat Kohli but the management must make a place for Iyer, whatever it takes,” Chopra further said.
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