TimesofIndia.com in Dubai:
The 2025 Champions Trophy winners medal around his neck and the iconic white blazer on, Shreyas Iyer broke into an impromptu jig when the rest of his teammates assembled for a group picture. Sukhbir’s popular song ‘Oh ho ho’ was too hard to resist for the right-hander and he ensured not to miss a beat with his sublime footwork. It wasn’t his usual Afrobeat number but on hearing “mera waala gaana” on the loudspeaker, the dancing skills took over and soon became a buzz on social media.
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The grooving continued in post-match interviews and the 30-year-old celebrated what was a very successful campaign where he ended as India’s leading run-getter with 243 runs in five innings. These were hard-fought runs which came in tricky situations and allowed India to control the middle overs – the passage of play which was very crucial on the sluggish surfaces in Dubai. One knock at a time, not only did he remind of his class in the format but also put doubts, if there were still any, to rest.
Over the past year, there were lows of missing a central contract and losing spot in the Test side but Shreyas took it on the chin and responded with an Indian Premier League (IPL) title for Kolkata Knight Riders and a very consistent run in the domestic circuit for Mumbai, across formats. Hours after the biggest high of his career, yet, India’s No.4 opened up on the CT campaign, confidence he has in his game, unfinished business in whites and more.
Edited excerpts:
Last one year has been a roller-coaster for you. Lots of things happened. Central contract, so much noise but you responded with one title at a time. IPL trophy, domestic success… how satisfying was it when you collected the Champions Trophy white blazer?
Extremely satisfying. To be honest it has been a journey and I have learnt a lot in this phase of my life where I got out of the contract after playing the 2023 ODI World Cup. I reassessed where I went wrong, what I should be doing, how well I need to focus on my fitness. I asked myself all these questions and prepared a routine and started focussing on my training and also the skills I added side by side. Once I got continuous matches in domestic cricketI figured out how important fitness was for me especially when I raised my concerns at the start of the year. Overall I am extremely happy with myself… the way I came out of this, the way I handled the situation and most importantly I believed in myself.
Did frustration ever creep in during this period?
Frustration toh nahi tha because I was playing IPL. The major focus was to win the IPL and thankfully I won it. I personally felt I didn’t get the recognition I wanted to after winning the IPL but at the end of the day, as long as you have self integrity and you keep doing the right things when no one is watching, that is more important and that is what I kept doing.
Your KKR teammates have publicly appreciated your captaincy and the decisions during pressure situations. How much have you evolved as a captain after leading in the IPL, then Mumbai in the domestic competitions? You were in the leadership discussions for the Indian team too.
I would say I am more of an instinctive person. I see the situation, read the situation and based on that I call my shots. I believe a lot on my gut calls. Whatever the first thought comes in my mind, I take that and back it. Most important is you back your teammates, you back your calls and every individual who is part of the team on the given day. It’s important you back them in pressure situations and make sure that you believe in their abilities. Once all these patterns are set up for you, everything else follows.
Your back troubled you for a long time and it wasn’t something which was fixed after a quick rehab. It flared up when you played the longest format. What changes did you have to make in terms of routine, physical exercises and how confident are you with your body after undergoing what you did?
I am extremely happy with my training routine. There is this guy Sagar who has been working with me on my training and he creates schedules for me based on my activities on the field. He helped me a lot in terms of changing my body, the training and understanding what I was going through. He worked with me during the IPL as well. Lot of credit goes to him also. From there on I was convinced to follow whatever he says in terms of my fitness and it worked well.
You spoke about not getting that recognition after the IPL title but India captain Rohit Sharma was very vocal in his praise for you. He termed you the “silent hero” of the Champions Trophy campaign. It wasn’t typical Shreyas contributions because you are known for those big hands right from your early days but you mentioned during one of the chats after the final that even if the big runs didn’t come you were happy to contribute in winning causes throughout the tournament.
When I talk about recognition, it’s about getting that respect. It was about the respect for whatever efforts I put on the field. I think sometimes it gets unnoticed but extremely satisfied with the efforts I put in because they weren’t easy wickets to bat on. It wasn’t easy to take singles especially when the bowlers were bowling so tight. I just had the belief in myself that once I get two sixes here or there, I can change the momentum towards our side. Luckily I got them at crucial times.
It’s a tough job to be the No. 4 in ODIs and be the link between the top and lower-order. There are some superstars in the team but you quietly come and do the job more often than not. How do you prepare for that difficult job?
I don’t come quietly (laughs). I come with my full heart and there is something else going on in my mind. I have a lot of confidence in myself to do the job. Koi bhi situation mai bhejo, karke aauga. This mindset works for me and this confidence comes after facing rejections and failures. They are the best teachers. You also get to know during tough times, only you can lift yourself. No one else.
How difficult were the tough times?
Whenever I am in that low phase of life, very few people message me. And they are Pravin Amre sir, Abhishek Nayar, Sagar and there are few other people who supported me a lot during that time and I will always keep them with me. They are normal when everything is fine but even nicer when I am undergoing that low period. I appreciate that kind of mentality and you will definitely grow if you have such people around you.
Did the Champions Trophy win feel sweeter because you played a very crucial role in winning the tournament for the side. Leading run-getter, getting them in difficult situations.
Nothing is sweeter than winning the trophy. Your individual score and all is secondary and important is that the team wins. People are happy in India. So many people support us from the ground and everywhere and winning the game for them feels very good.
Do you feel there is unfinished business in the white jersey? Leadership ambitions?
Obviously there is… I want to play as much as I can. I have done well in the domestic tournaments but let’s see what happens. I don’t want to think too much about it because the more I think, more mind will be taxed. It will basically get tired. I live in the moment, maze karta hu [I enjoy] and think about the match when it comes. I don’t think too much about [the] future or past. It has helped me a lot.
