"When you are playing for the Indian team, I feel pressure is inevitable" - Shreyas Iyer 

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has shed light on the competition for places in the ODI squad. The Mumbai-born batter currently holds a slight headstart on the back of his stupendous displays last year, where he emerged as India's highest run-scorer across all formats with 724 runs in the 50-over format at an average of 55.69.

Apart from Shreyas Iyer, the team boasts the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul in a three-way race for the middle order. Arguably, only two of them could feature in the playing XI, especially since Rahul has been designated to the middle order as well as to keep wickets when required.

In a pre-match interview ahead of the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Guwahati, Iyer stated that he opts to focus on his routines and processes rather than pay heed to the competition and outside chatter.

"When you are playing for the Indian team, I feel pressure is inevitable," he said. "You cannot control it and as much as I know that I need to focus on myself and not think about the competition or anything or the outside noise. I just like to turn a deaf ear to it and ensure that my routines and processes are right and that is what I focus on when I approach a match or any opposition."

When asked how he approaches an innings in terms of planning against a particular opposition and the kind of challenges they bring forward with their bowling unit, Shreyas Iyer replied:

"Definitely, you need to study your bowlers before the game and I try to visualize the oppositions, what the bowlers would be bowling at me and what would be their planning.

"So, I try to analyze all these small aspects and definitely when I approach the ground, I let my instincts take over and I don't pre-determine any shots other than sweep and other shots which I have recently developed."

The right-handed batter has been a vital part of the ODI and Test squads despite losing out on his position in the shortest format. Iyer was named among the stand-by players for the T20 World Cup 2022 but is poised to play a key role in 2023, considering that his favored formats take precedence over T20 cricket this year.

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"2022 was an exciting year for me" - Shreyas Iyer

As previously mentioned, Shreyas Iyer had a landmark 2022 across formats. His year began with a Player of the Series award in the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka.

That was followed by a relatively lean Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). However, a solid set of scores throughout the year, especially in the second half, helped him become the year's leading scorer for the side.

Admitting that he enjoyed 2022 as a whole and was looking forward to the new season, Shreyas Iyer said:

"2022 was an exciting year for me, and I was ecstatic with my performances and I definitely look back and what I learnt from that year, the one thing that stands out is patience.

"I think I was less flamboyant in terms of my shot selection and I used to plan my innings pretty well, and the temperament to go in tough situations. So, that's what I analyze from last year and I try to play the situation more and it worked out pretty well for me."

Team India are all set to begin their ODI home season with the series opener against Sri Lanka at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, January 10.

Rohit Sharma returns to lead the side while other senior members like Virat Kohli and Mohammad Shami will also mark their presence.

Who will win the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka? Let us know what you think.

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