Former India batsman Sunil Gavaskar has praised Indian batter Shreyas Iyer for showing “cleverness” in the second T20I of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Gavaskar said that some of Iyer’s shots “was more like a Djokovic or a Federer forehand.”
Gavaskar speaks
“First thing he did was hit that straight drive for a boundary. After that it was...even if he was lofting the ball, he was doing it in the 'V'. So less chances of being caught because fielders are on the either side of the sightscreen. So basically, play as straight as possible and even if the ball does anything it will have a inside or outside edge.
“Iyer was playing with the full face of the bat as much as possible except the odd occasions. He was unbelievable. It was more like a Djokovic or a Federer forehand,” said former India captain Sunil Gavaskar while talking to the host broadcaster.
Clever style of cricket
While talking about Iyer’s batting, Gavaskar pointed out the “cleverness” of his batting.
“There are so many options virtually for every single spot in the team. So anybody who gets an opportunity he knows he needs to grab it and cannot waste it. What Shreyas Iyer has shown in this innings is the cleverness of his batting. The way he was moving away when there was no deep third man and hitting the ball over, the way he was moving towards the offside and clipping the ball to the onside. That shows a batsman who is supremely confident of himself and the skill he posses.
“The difference between what you have and to make it happen is temperament and shot selection, in his case he is showing he can do. And also to see Sanju Samson do it because he is one of my favourite players. And to see him come good has been fantastic,” he explained.
It is important to mention, that in the second T20I match, Iyer played a match-winning innings of 74 (not out) off 44 balls. His innings was comprised of 6 boundaries and 4 sixes. While chasing a target of 184, the Indian team lost just 3 wickets to reach the target in 17.1 overs.
