CHENNAI: On the face of it, Shreyas Iyer does not come across as someone who has filters. When you look at him, it is not hard to guess the kind of mood he is in. He doesn't appear to have the kind of emotions Virat Kohli routinely goes through in a match.
The Kolkata Knight Riders captain rarely loses his cool during the game. It’s more like, ‘I am not worried about what you think of me,’ bravado, which is evident when he walks into any room.
The press conference room on a humid Saturday evening at the MA Chidambaram Stadium was no different. Pat Cummins, his opposite number, and he were doing some small talk before the media interaction began and it did not take long for Iyer to break the ice.
Cummins was asked about the dew factor and what he would do if he won the toss in the final on Sunday, and before even the Australian could answer, Iyer chipped in. “Good question for me,” he laughed, making Cummins turn to him and quip, “What are you going to do?” And the room let out a laugh.
It was not the only such moment during the presser. A couple of questions on, Cummins, once again, was asked about the Chennai surface and while answering the query, he mentioned, “There was heaps of dew (during Qualifier 2),” before continuing. Shortly after, when someone mentioned that there was not much dew on Friday, Iyer interrupted laughing, “Liar... I said, you liar,” once again leaving everyone with a bit of a laugh.
That, in essence, sums up Shreyas as an individual. No drama, not thinking twice to speak his mind irrespective of the occasion. It was the same when he was asked about the rollercoaster ride he has been on since the ODI World Cup. He was a prolific run-scorer before the South Africa trip. Post that though, he was dropped during the England series at home.
Shortly after, he was axed from the BCCI central contract list despite fulfilling the minimum requirement (number of matches) for the Grade C category. At the time, it seemed like he was not given a contract for not playing Ranji Trophy after being dropped from the Test squad. Iyer, after having reportedly raised concerns over his back issue while playing the longer format, eventually turned up for Mumbai in the Ranji semifinal and final. He scored a crucial 95 in the second innings as Mumbai won their 42nd title. From thereon, it has been a fruitful two months for him as he has amassed 345 runs while striking at 146.18.
Iyer did not mince words while talking about the past six months. “I was struggling after the World Cup. When I raised my concerns (about his back issues), no one agreed to it. But at the same time, the competition is with myself. When I came, the IPL was approaching, all I wanted was to see to it that I put my best foot forward. And whatever planning and strategising we did before it, basically if we could execute it to the best of our abilities we would have been in a great spot and that is where we are right now. The transformation from red-ball cricket to white-ball, it is kind of difficult as a batter and also as a bowler I feel. Yeah, it was kind of difficult at the start but once you get used to it, I think you pick up the pace and match on with the other players,” he said.
When Iyer walks out for the toss on Sunday, he will be himself, knowing all he has to do is put his best foot forward. For, all that matters to him is how he can give himself and his team the best chance to get the trophy for his team.
