Shreyas Iyer - Making a strong case for himself in the midst of a plethora of talented players

Shreyas Iyer had a very good Ranji Trophy season

There’s a reason why Mumbai’s Shivaji Park Gymkhana is considered hallowed by those who speak of it. For one, it has witnessed the rise of countless aspiring cricketers, the fall of a hundred more; it has bathed in the perspiration of a myriad of workhorses every day and been spectator to coaches honing the skills of their pupils with care and sternness.

When a 12-year-old Shreyas Iyer had arrived at the Gymkhana for a selection trial in 2007, Praveen Amre, a familiar and much-revered name across Mumbai grounds, wasn’t amused. One year later, the same kid returned at the trials and his improvement compelled Amre to take him under his wings.

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When the bouncer did not work, Mitchell McClenaghan decided to cut down his pace and deliver an off-cutter on the middle stump. The 20-year-old at the other end recognized it early, waited for it as he cleared his front leg before smashing it in the air over mid-on for a boundary. Next ball, McClenaghan was back on his pace while pitching it short. The width on offer was, however, enough for the batsman to get on his toes and whip it over backward point for a six.

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Under the tutelage of Amre, Iyer’s talent as a natural on-side player flourished while his off-side play developed hand-in-hand. Amre had never been a man who would suppress a player’s natural style with cold words of wisdom, and so it remained in Iyer’s case. Never for once, during wringing away the flaws in his game, was Shreyas asked to abandon his risk-taking approach.

The graduation to Under-16 from Under-13 was relatively smooth. As the competition got tougher, rejections began to get on Iyer’s nerves. His father consulted sports psychologist, Mugdha Bavare, after which he noticed a definite change in his son’s mentality.

The once fragile teenager was now brimming with confidence and was ready to take on challenges and face failures as they came. He emerged as the Best Player of the Year for Podar in 2012 and was drafted into the Under-19 and Mumbai probables soon.

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Harbhajan Singh’s first ball of the match was a ripper. It spun away after pitching and deceived the batsman as he looked to work it on the leg side. The ball kissed the edge of the willow and fell short of the short third man. Luck had sided with the right-hander this time.

The fourth ball was tossed up outside off. Harbhajan induced a thick edge once again before the ball ran away for a boundary through the empty slip cordon. Precisely 6 deliveries later, the same batsman survived a run-out chance as he sped for a single after tapping it in front of midwicket only to be rescued by the fielder’s inaccuracy at the stumps.

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Having chosen cricket over football at the age of 10, Shreyas had set out to achieve his dream of playing for India with all seriousness. His call-up for the Under-19 national squad in 2012 was followed by three centuries and a half-century in the Cooch Behar Trophy.

Among cult names like Vijay Zol and Akhil Herwadkar, Shreyas stole the party against Australia in the Under-19 series smashing a Sehwagesque 109 off 67 balls at Vishakhapatnam. That he had called up his mother the day before and uncharacteristically promised to score a ton speaks volumes about his confidence and faith in his abilities.

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11th over. Delhi Daredevils 65/1. Jasprit Bumrah into the attack.

After a couple of singles, Bumrah sent down a length ball on the stumps only to find it deposited behind the sightscreen. The next ball was poorer. Full toss, batsman made room and smashed that through the covers for a boundary.

The following delivery was right on the blockhole, still it went for another boundary – this time between the ’keeper and short third man. Bumrah was at wit’s end. Iyer, having reached his second IPL fifty in six matches, was breathing fire.

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After a national stint at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, Shreyas returned to the domestic circuit and was drafted into Mumbai’s one-day squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. On November 14 last year, he came out at No.4 to partner the experienced Wasim Jaffer after Mumbai were reduced to 11/2 in reply to Gujarat’s 256/7.

For the next 24 overs, Jaffer assumed the responsibility of propelling the innings while Iyer held the other end. Once Jaffer was dismissed by Rujul Bhatt, the 20-year-old began to harbor strike more often while Suryakumar Yadav conquered the bowlers, scoring at a strike rate of above 180.

By the time the target was reached, Iyer had spent 135 minutes at the crease and had consumed 110 deliveries for his unbeaten 105.

The gradual rise to prominence

One of the things that stand out for Iyer is the stark contrast between his attitudes on and off the field. The right-hander from Mumbai is calm and unassuming, and his friends vouch for it. “Much unlike his personality which is very subdued, his game is extremely aggressive. Whether it is cricket or football, it is almost like he saves up all the energy for his game,” his friend Samay Lalwani says.

His composed, yet attacking strokeplay earned him a spot in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team soon after his exploits in the Vijay Hazare Trophy went viral. In a group stage match against Uttar Pradesh, he was sent out to bat at five down with Mumbai still trailing by 153 runs. Almost two hours later, Shreyas returned to the pavilion having rescued his team with a 78-ball 75 in seamer-friendly conditions.

Shreyas Iyer has impressed IPL followers with his batting

The next match against Bengal saw typical Iyer negotiating the gaps and lofting the ball over the fielders with unhindered aggression and immaculately balanced strokeplay. He plundered 16 fours and 4 sixes on his way to a fateful 153 that not only sealed 3 points for his team but also guaranteed his spot at No.3.

A successful debut Ranji season where he emerged as Mumbai’s leading run-scorer with 809 runs at an average of 50.56, including six half-centuries and 2 hundreds, resulted in his IPL value soaring to Rs. 2.6 crore – 26 times his base price – when Delhi Daredevils sealed the deal. He turned out to be the highest paid uncapped player of the 2015 IPL auction by the time it was over.

Aggression and its price

There’s a certain aura of nonchalance when it comes to the way Shreyas walks out to bat. He is unfazed by big names, unrattled by opposition bowlers offering him chin music. He is smart, composed, yet destructive. Even against the odds, he would find out a way to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Praveen Amre had been dissatisfied with the manner he got himself dismissed against Kolkata Knight Riders even after getting set. Shreyas made amends in the following match scoring 83 runs off 56 deliveries in the fashion he knows best – clobbering Mumbai Indians’ best bowler Harbhajan for two sixes after having thumped 10 runs off McClenaghan in the 13th over.

Long-term coach Amre’s constant admonitions of using his height and playing straight worked once Iyer was promoted to open the innings against Rajasthan Royals in Delhi’s second match. The Rs. 2.6 crore investment paid rich dividends as he returned for a brisk 40 off 30 balls with 40 percent of his runs coming in the V between mid-off and mid-on.

Two matches later, Vishakhapatnam witnessed a blistering 40-ball 60 by the Mumbaikar that helped his team to a 4-run victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

His inexplicable manners of getting dismissed – including an unnecessary slog sweep against Piyush Chawla and a premeditated AB de Villiers-scoop against Lasith Malinga while going too far across and exposing all three stumps – continue to compound worries about his tendency of throwing it away after having established himself. Still, there’s lot to take heart from the maturity he displayed against MI, choosing his shots well and responding to the merit of the ball.

Iyer is young, confident and appears keen to learn. Having attracted the attention of Harsha Bhogle who tweeted about the youngster’s promise the day before, his development under Amre is bound to be under a lot of scrutiny. By the time this IPL is over, Delhi Daredevils would’ve given birth to either a youngster with sustained excellence or just another one-season wonder who is destined to fade away sooner than later.

Time, as they say, will reveal everything.