IPL 2020 | I am not a gifted player, know the hard work and smart work I put in, asserts Shreyas Iyer
Delhi secure an 18-run win tonight
|IPL
Shreyas Iyer has reckoned that he knows the importance of hard work and backing the same up with smart work which he feels can compensate for him not being a ‘gifted player’. The Delhi Capitals skipper has also added that most of the time, he needs to settle down upfront to bat freely later on.
Delhi Capitals registered their third victory in the Indian Premier League, thanks to a solid batting performance by Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer, and then a bowling performance worthy of applause. Iyer was the pick of the batsmen and shrugging off his slow avatar, he scored a finely-crafted 88 runs to back Prithvi Shaw’s free-flowing batting upfront.
Today Iyer shifted his gears pretty early, after playing just nine balls, and didn’t let any bowlers have a sniff of chance against him. Had it not been Shimron Hetmyer’s unimaginative batting, he could very well have scored a century but Iyer is little concerned about that. The Mumbai-born player stated that he knows the value of hard work and smart work he puts into his game on a regular basis.
“It was really necessary for me to take time at the start which I did in the earlier games as well. It was the right time for me to take on the bowlers and then rotate strike as well after that. Luckily it worked out for me. I know the hard work and the smart work I have put in through my gym sessions, so I wouldn't say I am a very gifted player,” Iyer said in the post-match presentation.
Sharjah is turning out to be a graveyard for bowlers, with all six innings so far on this ground seeing scores in excess of 200. While many former players and commentators are calling out the short boundary and lack of assistance for players, Iyer, as a batsman, looked after his own department, saying he is enjoying the most in Sharjah.
“It is really difficult to defend here. It has been such an amazing tournament, especially in Sharjah. It is always a thrill to play at this ground, the last time I played here was in the under-19s. Winning the match was the icing on the cake.”
After bowling a two-run over, Mishra injured his finger and could only bowl one more over. It was a superb show by the leg spinner, considering the lack of assistance for the bowlers on the wicket. While applauding everyone’s work ethics, Iyer pointed out that Mishra leaving the ground early was unfortunate for the side.
“Really satisfied with the way everyone stepped up. Unfortunate to lose Mishra in the middle when he was spinning the ball really well. Anything could happen, it is a funny game is T20s and especially here in Sharjah. We really have a good platform and we have to be insatiable with our work ethics and keep getting better game after game,” the Delhi skipper concluded.
