Shreyas Iyer - the DC superhero who never went away

Anrich Nortje. Kagiso Rabada. Ravichandran Ashwin. Prithvi Shaw. Rishabh Pant. Shikhar Dhawan. Shimron Hetmyer. Shreyas Iyer. A list of the stars the Delhi Capitals have in their ranks. In cricketing analogies, it might even resemble a superhero squad DC (pun intended) have assembled to bury their Indian Premier League demons – demons that have lasted all of 13 years now.

For quite a while this season, though, the Capitals were missing one of the most vital components of their squad aka Shreyas Iyer, meaning that despite surging to the top of the table, plenty were left with a feeling of what could’ve been. Not just because the right-handed batter has the ability to effortlessly slot into most IPL outfits but also because much of DC’s batting plans have historically revolved around Shreyas Iyer.

Thus, his return to the side, just before the resumption of the IPL was a celebration it itself. The Capitals were, after all, availing the services of their full-time captain and one of their brightest batting talents. That Shreyas Iyer has only taken a couple of games to prove those notions right is perhaps a testament to his class and of course, the “hunger” that he has to make up for lost time.

It was quite revealing when Shreyas Iyer spoke to the media post the match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and quipped that his appetite for runs had gone up a touch. He even mentioned that he didn’t compromise on what has worked for him previously and that he wanted to keep the momentum going.

In short, Shreyas Iyer didn’t seem a batter who had been away from the game for the past few months. Instead, he seemed someone who had been in sync with the sport, even when he was on the sidelines. Or, as someone with a more poetic inclination would suggest, a superhero who never quite went away.

Shreyas Iyer has been brilliant for DC so far in IPL 2021

So far, the Capitals have played two games in the second phase of the IPL and have been utterly convincing. Against SRH, their bowlers starred and restricted the Orange Army to a middling total before Pant and Shreyas Iyer shepherded the side home.

Against the Rajasthan Royals, they found themselves in a slightly trickier terrain. Yet, they got up to a decent total, courtesy of Shreyas Iyer, and then defended it with utmost conviction. The common thread, apart from the bowling brilliance, was the calmness and the composure of Shreyas Iyer.

For a large chunk of his career, there have been question marks around the right-handed batters’ suitability to the shortest format. At times, his inability to be as flamboyant as some of his peers has weighed him down, whereas on other occasions, his trait of starting slow has come back to haunt him.

Though there hasn’t been a lot of evidence to hint that he has rid himself of either malaise, there have been enough signs illustrating that he has been one of the most competent Indian batters in the second leg, which in itself, is quite outstanding.

When that particular aspect is pitted with what the Capitals are striving to achieve, it becomes a match made in heaven because, well, the DC line-up, despite missing Shreyas Iyer for large stretches in 2021, still seems moulded around him.

During the first half of the IPL, Pant, in particular, was quite restrained. Not only did he have to man the middle order, he also had to shoulder the run-scoring burden, considering Steve Smith’s struggles at No.3.

When the Australian did play, though, the Capitals tried to use him as an anchor – an anchor that would withstand pressure when (or if) Dhawan and Shaw would perish early in the innings. However, when Smith tried to increase the tempo, he floundered.

In contrast, Shreyas Iyer has the proclivity to impose himself against the spinners. A strike rate of 127.91 against spin in the IPL might not sound as appealing but it denotes that Shreyas Iyer can juggle between playing the anchor and being proactive when required – something that might even prompt Pant to release the handbrake.

And, if that keeps happening more frequently, the Capitals might find themselves in several match-winning situations.

Apart from that, the right-handed batter relishes pressure circumstances and fights fire with fire, rather than retreating into his shell and waiting for the opponent to make mistakes. While that may be a quality most teams would want in their ranks, it becomes even more important for the Capitals, considering the fearless brand of cricket they’ve professed.

Most tellingly, though, deep inside, Shreyas Iyer might be smarting from his omission from India’s T20 World Cup squad. Remember, he was a part of the Men In Blue’s first-choice T20I eleven when he was injured. Yet, like so many others in the Virat Kohli era, he now has to cool his heels, despite having done nothing wrong in his last appearance for the nation.

From that perspective then, this IPL is the ideal platform to remind Kohli and the Indian top brass that he is still a viable option, irrespective of the amount of cricket he has played lately. After all, if he can look one of the more confident and free-flowing batters post a six-month break, there might not be many obstacles that would trouble him.

As far as the Capitals are concerned, they might not mind the fact that Shreyas Iyer has plenty to prove. In fact, they might quietly be happy that they have a fully motivated Shreyas Iyer at their disposal and that he, much like it has been for the past couple of years, continues to be the crowning jewel in their parure.

Maybe then, Shreyas Iyer is the DC superhero who never went away. And more tellingly, the superhero who still defines what the franchise is all about and what they might conquer henceforth.