[In Pictures] "For all the collective effort put in and sticking by each other through thick and thin"- Shreyas Iyer on winning Ranji Trophy 

Underfire Indian batter Shreyas Iyer won the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy on Thursday (March 14) with Mumbai. The domestic powerhouse side beat Vidarbha in the final by 169 runs to win the elite domestic tournament for a record 42nd time.

Iyer played in both the semi-final and the final of the tournament. He could not make much contribution in the semis and the first innings of the summit clash. However, Iyer rose to the occasion and hit a splendid 95 in the second innings of the final and set up the platform for Mumbai's huge lead.

After the victory, Shreyas Iyer took to his official X handle and shared a couple of pictures, congratulating his teammates and support staff. He wrote:

"Champions! Congratulations to our entire team, support staff and our fans - this is for all the collective effort put in and sticking by each other through thick and thin. Special mention to @dhawal_kulkarni on a glorious career, what a way to sign off!"

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"He delivered it when it mattered"- Chandrakant Pandit on Shreyas Iyer's performance in Ranji Trophy final vs Vidarbha

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit recently applauded Shreyas Iyer for his magnificent knock in the final of the Ranji Trophy. He even compared the knock to the one Iyer played in the 2023 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand last November, where he smashed an unbelievable 105 (70).

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Pandit said:

"It was an important innings for Shreyas and he delivered it when it mattered. Although in a different format, his innings resembled the one in the World Cup semifinal here at the Wankhede against New Zealand."

He continued:

"He is playing good cricket and it was bad luck that he could not score big runs in the last few games. The fact that he smashed 10 boundaries and three sixes is an indication that he is playing fearlessly and is not changing his style of play. The innings will stand him in good stead."

After missing the last season, Shreyas Iyer is all set to lead the KKR side in IPL 2024. Their campaign in the tournament will commence on March 23 with the clash against SRH at Eden Gardens.

However, there could be another injury issue on the cards. Iyer did not field for Mumbai in the second innings of the final after receiving treatment for a back pain on Day 4 of the game, as per ESPNCricinfo.