Shreyas Iyer – The prolific scorer

Shreyas Iyer – The prolific scorer: The 20-year old, Shreyas Santosh Iyer is ‘on fire’ in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2015-16 tournament. Playing in five games (seven innings) in this season, thus far, he has accumulated 633 runs at an average of 90.42 with the highest individual best of 200 runs (his maiden First Class double-ton) against Punjab.

Iyer’s double-ton is the third best in the tournament’s 82-year history, following 200* in 123 deliveries by Ravi Shastri, playing for Mumbai, against Baroda in 1984-85 and 235 in 193 deliveries (200 in 156 deliveries) by Rajesh Borah, playing for Assam against Bihar in 1991-92.

Shreyas Iyer has three centuries and one half-century to his credit.

Playing against Punjab, in Mumbai’s second game, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, between 8^th October and 11^th October, 2015, Shreyas Iyer, going into bat at No 3, at the fall of the opener, Akhil Herwadkar (19, 31m, 20b, 4*4), built up a partnership of 233 runs (the highest partnership in this match) for the third-wicket along with Suryakumar Yadav (78, 228m, 162b, 10*4, 1*6).

Shreyas Iyer had another fruitful partnership of 64 runs with the Mumbai skipper, Aditya Tare (137, 300m, 172b, 16*4) for the fourth wicket.

Shreyas Iyer departed caught by Siddhartha Kaul off the bowling of the Punjab skipper, Yuvraj Singh, but not before notching up a well-deserved double century, the fastest double-ton in the tournament’s history. He scored 200 runs off just 176 deliveries with the help of 25 fours and 5 sixes.

This knock helped Mumbai to accumulate 569 runs in their first innings and take a vital lead of 415 runs over Punjab.

The third game between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu was a hard-fought one. Playing at Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai, between 15^th October and 18^th October, 2015, Mumbai replied with 294 runs in the first innings, as against Tamil Nadu’s mammoth total of 434 runs, thereby trailing by 140 runs.

A wonderful bowling display by Mumbai’s Vishal Dabholkar (18-3-53-7) and Shardul Thakur (8-3-19-2) enabled them to restrict their opponents to a mere 95 runs in their second innings.

Needing 236 runs for an outright win, Mumbai achieved the same losing 9 wickets in the process and registering an outright win by one wicket, pocketing 6 points.

Again the young Shreyas Iyer, rose to the occasion and scored a brilliant 83 runs off just 71 deliveries with the help of 9 fours and 2 sixes. He was the team’s top scorer and helped Mumbai win the game.

The game against Baroda, the fourth game for Mumbai, was also an eventful one for Iyer.

Playing at the Reliance Stadium Baroda, between 22^nd and 25^th Oct, 2015, Iyer put a mind-blowing batting performance.

Mumbai, under the leadership of their wicket-keeper-skipper, Aditya Tare, won the toss and chose to bat.

Losing the opener, Dhawal Kulkarni (3 54m, 33b) and Shrideep Mangela (11, 72m, 39b, 1*4), pretty cheap, Iyer along with the other opener, Akhil Herwadkar, went to register a 57-run third wicket partnership.

Thereafter, Shreyas Iyer had a wonderful 202-run fourth-wicket partnership with Suryakumar Yadav (68, 233m, 160b, 4*4, 1*6).

At the team score of 323 runs, Iyer got, unfortunately, RUN OUT, in a mix. By that time he departed, Shreyas had scored 173 runs, batting for 269 minutes, facing 183 deliveries and with 14 hits to the fence and 6 beyond using the aerial route.

This knock of Shreyas Iyer, helped Mumbai put up a huge total of 447 runs in their first innings.

In the fifth game against Uttar Pradesh, played between 7^th and 10^th November 2015, at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, Iyer registered his fifth First-Class century, playing in his 19^th game (30^th innings).

In a massive score of 610/9 decl by Mumbai in their first innings, Shreyas went on to score 137 runs, being at the crease for 181 minutes, facing 110 deliveries. His knock had 14 hits to the ropes and 5 beyond.

In the process, he had two valuable partnerships.

First, along with Akhil Herwadkar, Shreyas Iyer had a partnership of 106 runs for the second-wicket and later a 98-run third wicket partnership with Rohit Sharma.

At the end of five games in the tournament this season, Shreyas Iyer is SECOND in the list of TOP SCORERS. He is preceded in the list by Prembhast Rohan Prem of Kerala, who has a tally of 650 runs at an average of 92.85 from as many matches (9 innings) with 208 runs as his individual best with 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries to his credit.

India International, Rohit Sharma, who had an opportunity of batting along with the young ‘batting sensation’ in the game against UP, complimented the youngster.

Speaking to TOI, Rohit said, “I had heard from people in our (Mumbai) dressing room that he’s been in good nick. I’m glad with the way Shreyas Iyer is batting. I was enjoying it from the other end. He reminded me of Sehwag a little bit, because that’s how he used to bat. He batted pretty well. Whatever he’s been doing of late, it’s pretty good to see that.”

“An attacking batsman is always important for any side in any format. It takes the momentum away from the opposition. When someone bats like he did today, it took the game away from them (UP). So, it makes a huge difference to have someone like him in the team who goes after the bowling right from ball one. The kind of shots he played today was amazing. The one (four) over covers off Bhuvi, those are the shots you dream about playing.”

With still a lot more games to be played in the tournament this season, it is expected that Shreyas Iyer would come up with more stellar performances.

It would not be a surprise if the youngster ‘gets a call’ to do national duty in the ICC T20I World Cup to be staged in India.