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Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt heaped praise on Shreyas Iyer for his exploits with the bat following Team India's thumping seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt pointed out how Iyer tends to play proper cricketing shots even in the shortest format. He praised the right-handed batter for pacing his innings well in the second T20I against Sri Lanka.
Butt said:
"Shreyas Iyer's innings was an intelligent one. He doesn't rely on slogs, but plays proper cricketing shots. He used to hit a six and then take a single on the very next ball. The same Shreyas Iyer also batted well against New Zealand in Tests and he has continued his form in the shortest format as well."
Iyer has showcased stunning form in the ongoing three-match T20I home series against Sri Lanka by slamming back-to-back unbeaten half-centuries in the first two fixtures.
He emerged as the the top performer with the bat for India in the second T20I and was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his knock of 74*.
With their dominant win on Saturday, Rohit Sharma and co. have now taken an unassailable lead in the series. It is worth mentioning that India have now extended their winning streak in T20Is to 11 matches.
"Good to see that India are giving chances to new players on a regular basis" - Salman Butt
Salman Butt reckoned that India are one of the few teams who have used international matches for team development by regularly handing opportunities to new players in the playing XI.
He opined that the new faces have gained significant confidence with these multiple chances. Butt remarked that this will help India in their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022.
"It's good to see that India are giving chances to new players on a regular basis. The players are gaining confidence and that is helping India build their bench strength.
"They are exploring different options for different areas in their preparation for the T20 World Cup. Very few teams use international matches for their team development. But it's good to see India doing that."
India and Sri Lanka are scheduled to battle it out in the third and final fixture of their T20I series on Sunday (February 27) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
Watch Salman Butt's full video here:
