"There was a question mark on Shreyas Iyer's career" - Aakash Chopra lauds the Mumbaikar for bouncing back

Aakash Chopra has spoken highly of Shreyas Iyer for bouncing back after his career seemed to be floundering slightly.

Iyer was Team India's standout performer in the recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka. The 27-year-old smashed 204 runs in three matches without being dismissed and was duly adjudged the Player of the Series.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra lauded Iyer for staging a brilliant comeback after almost being down and out. He elaborated:

"First, he got injured and then he didn't have a place in the team. He was in the reserves for the World Cup, lost the captaincy of his franchise. I mean all looked done and dusted. There was a question mark on Shreyas Iyer's career, there were some black clouds but Shreyas Iyer is back."

The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that Iyer was given a chance at the No.4 position after losing out on a spot in India's 2019 World Cup side. Chopra said:

"Everything was going well. It seemed the player is mature, no one will be able to touch him, he got the opportunity to play at No.4 because the middle muddle was there from before the 2019 World Cup. Shreyas had got few chances before that and he had scored runs there but he suddenly became out of favor."

Iyer gave an excellent account of himself in the ODI series against Sri Lanka in 2017. However, he was sidelined when some of the first-team regulars returned to the side.

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"There was a discussion that no questions will be raised on Shreyas Iyer's name" - Aakash Chopra

Shreyas Iyer played a 103-run knock against New Zealand in February 2020

Aakash Chopra pointed out that Iyer had almost sealed his place as the No.4 batter with his exploits after the 2019 World Cup. He explained:

"He was called back as soon as the World Cup got over and the lad played well, struck a century in Hamilton. He played well continuously after that, had an average of almost 40-50 and then there was a discussion that no questions will be raised on his name and that No.4 was cemented."

The 44-year-old added that things turned downhill when Iyer got injured and even lost the Delhi Capitals' captaincy. Chopra observed:

"Then he got an injury at the wrong time. Then so many things changed suddenly, it seemed the career is coming to a grinding halt. Delhi Capitals gave the captaincy to Pant and stuck with him even when Shreyas became available. Injury and then not such a great second half of the IPL, found himself in the reserves for the World Cup."

Aakash Chopra concluded by pointing out that Shreyas Iyer got a lucky break when he got to play the Kanpur Test against New Zealand.

Iyer was preferred for the home series against the Kiwis ahead of Hanuma Vihari. He scored a century and a half-century in the two innings of the first Test and has since not looked back.