Learnt a lot from initial failures as an individual which helped me improve, admits Shreyas Iyer

Until recently, Shreyas Iyer had not cemented his place in the national limited-overs team, despite being the captain of Delhi Capitals last year. He was dropped from the team after he scored just 48 runs in 3 matches against South Africa, contrasting to his success in his debut series against Sri Lanka, scoring 162 runs in 3 matches. It was only after the number 4 debacle in the World Cup 2019, that Iyer was given opportunities to bat at the crucial position, which was a huge problem for the Men in Blue.

He grabbed the opportunity with both hands, scoring runs at an average of almost 50 in 16 innings he played, solving India’s middle-order problem. On being asked about him not getting picked for the World Cup 2019, Iyer, who made his debut in 2017 against Sri Lanka, opined that he was content as he was scoring runs and it was a huge learning curve for him. 

“I was enjoying the moment. I was performing, so I was content. There were a few ups and downs, but I'm glad those happened at an early stage because they taught me a lot of things as an individual. I learnt a lot from my failures,” Iyer said as quoted by TOI. 

In the domestic circuit, Iyer has had a blast, resulting in him getting the attention of selectors for the Indian limited-overs team. Iyer has scored 3651 runs in 96 List-A matches for his domestic team Mumbai. The Delhi Capitals skipper revealed that despite good performances he wasn’t satisfied but has achieved satisfaction in recent past.    

“I still remember a phase when I wasn't consistent. I was scoring runs but in bits and pieces. My average didn't drop, but as a player I wasn't satisfied from within. But now when I look at myself, I know I've been performing in every game.”

BCCI are on the verge of taking a final call on this year's domestic season, which was halted due to the pandemic. Speaking on the same, Iyer opined that BCCI can conduct the domestic season if they want to, taking all the precautions, as lots of people involved will be losing their jobs. 

“Yes, definitely. If BCCI wants, they could do it. A lot of those involved will be losing their jobs and won’t be able to make their money. I know how much we struggled during our domestic cricket days. If they (BCCI) take certain responsibility, and every individual is ready to follow the rules, then definitely we can do it this year.”