‘He answered his critics with the bat’ – Irfan Pathan lavishes praises on Shreyas Iyer

With the T20 World Cup 2022 being less than eight months away, all participating teams would like to form a formidable squad for the gala competition. Team India’s preparations certainly looks on song as they won all of their seven T20Is following their early ouster in last year’s T20 World Cup. Having whitewashed New Zealand and West Indies by 3-0 apiece, the Men in Blue thrashed Sri Lanka by 62 runs in the first of the three ODIs.

As Virat Kohli has been rested for the ongoing series, Shreyas Iyer got to bat at number three in the game and he didn’t miss out on making a mark. The right-handed batter put up a batting exhibition and scored 57 off mere 28 deliveries. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan is mighty impressed with Iyer’s performance as reckons the youngster has silenced his critics.

Shreyas Iyer has the swag: Irfan Pathan 

“This guy has the swag. When this boy is in form, it is enjoyable to watch. The big shots he plays, he doesn’t stay at one spot, but despite that, the balance he generates, it is his own ability. I like the non-looker six he hits the most. The two sixes he hit off the slower ones – one-off Karunaratne and later off Chameera. He answered the critics with his bat, you don’t need to answer with your tongue,” said Pathan in a conversation on Star Sports.

As far as Shreyas’ T20I numbers are concerned, he has scored 662 runs in 34 T20Is so far at an average of 30.09 and a strike rate of 137.06. Meanwhile, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, who was also a part of the same panel, reckons the 27-year-old can be Kohli’s perfect back-up in T20Is.

“The bench is getting strong. The position at which Shreyas is being sent to bat, he is being continuously sent at No. 3. So God forbid if Virat Kohli gets injured in some match, I feel he can become a very good option at No. 3, and that is probably where the team management’s sights are set on Shreyas Iyer,” said Bangar in a conversation on Star Sports.