India's highest run-scorer in ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Shreyas Iyer has opened on the low phase of his life. Iyer was dropped from the annual central contract list by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2024. However, he did not get bogged down by the setbacks and led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title win in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He continued to perform well in the domestic circuit and worked on his fitness. During this time, there were a few people who got in touch with him and helped him overcome the low phase.
"Whenever I am in that low phase of life, very few people message me. And they are Pravin Amre sir, Abhishek Nayar, Sagar and there are few other people who supported me a lot during that time and I will always keep them with me. They are normal when everything is fine but even nicer when I am undergoing that low period. I appreciate that kind of mentality and you will definitely grow if you have such people around you," Iyer told TOI.
Iyer on his training routine
Iyer struggled with back injury and missed months of action. The 30-year-old credited his training coach for customising a routine for him that has helped him current fitness levels.
"I am extremely happy with my training routine. There is this guy Sagar who has been working with me on my training and he creates schedules for me based on my activities on the field. He helped me a lot in terms of changing my body, the training and understanding what I was going through. He worked with me during the IPL as well. Lot of credit goes to him also. From there on I was convinced to follow whatever he says in terms of my fitness and it worked well," he said.
Iyer hits bullseye
Iyer was not just impressive with the bat but the field as well. During the 'fielder of the match' distributions in the dressing room, fielding coach T Dilip often lauded Iyer for his agility and cutting down the angles. In the semifinal clash, Iyer's direct hit caught Alex Carey short of the crease which helped India restrict the target to 265.