India's star batter Shreyas Iyer is all set to rejoin the national cricket circuit after a long injury hiatus since the renowned Border-Gavaskar Trophy. His unfortunate back injury necessitated surgery, causing him to be side-lined during pivotal events like the Indian Premier League 2023 and the World Test Championships.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Iyer's Kolkata Knight Riders teammate, has been vocal about his happiness for Iyer's return. Gurbaz's confidence in Iyer's leadership skills was palpable as he highlighted Iyer's command in IPL, one of the world's most competitive cricket leagues.
In an exclusive chat with TimesofIndia.com, Gurbaz stated, "Hopefully, he (Shreyas) will become a good captain. He leads a team (KKR) in the IPL. The IPL is the biggest competition in the world. If he can lead a team in the IPL, he can lead any team in the world. India also. Rohit is there right now. India's cricket quality is of a high level. If Shreyas leads a team in the IPL, that means he is good (as India captaincy material). There are a lot of players who didn't get a chance to lead teams in the IPL. He got the chance which means he is a good captain. I am sure he will be a good captain for India."
Post-surgery, Iyer's road to recovery has been rigorous, with intensive training stints at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. His expertise in handling spin on Indian terrains makes him an invaluable asset to the Indian batting arsenal.
Gurbaz further accentuated his admiration for Iyer in his conversation with TOI, remarking, "I am really happy for him (Shreyas). After a long time, he has made it to the team. He is a key player. He is a very good player. That's why he has been picked in the Indian side. He deserves it. We play together at KKR. He is a very good man. He is a very good captain, a young captain. He is young and dynamic."
In other cricket updates, Afghanistan experienced a jolting defeat in their 1st ODI against Pakistan, scoring a mere 59 runs. Aiming for a target of 202 runs, they were thwarted by Pakistan's formidable pace trio: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf. Rauf's stellar performance, sealing 5/18, marked his career-best ODI figures during the match on August 22.
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