The problem of plenty is a good problem to have, several captains and coaches have mouthed this sentence when the bench strength of the side is strong and there is a competition for every spot. This time it seems skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid will have to make some tough decisions as every player, who is coming into the side is grabbing the opportunity and making himself undroppable with good performances.Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) new captain Shreyas Iyer, who played only the third T20I against the West Indies when the likes of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, stamped his authority in the second half of the Indian batting innings with a superb knock of 57* runs off just 28 balls. First with the half-centurion Ishan Kishan and then the all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, Iyer stitched crucial yet quick partnerships to help the Men in Blue get to a huge score of 199 runs, which proved to be too much for Sri Lanka in the end.
Praising Iyer’s shot-making, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said that when he is in form, he is enjoyable to watch as he plays with some swag.
Speaking to Star Sports, Pathan said, “This guy has the swag. When this boy is in form, it is enjoyable to watch. The big shots he plays, he doesn’t stay at one spot, but despite that, the balance he generates, it is his own ability. I like the non-looker six he hits the most. The two sixes he hit off the slower ones – one-off Karunaratne and later off Chameera. He answered the critics with his bat, you don’t need to answer with your tongue.
On the other hand, former India batting coach and current Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach Sanjay Bangar too echoed Pathan’s views saying that Iyer mostly bats at No. 3 and he could be potentially be a backup for Virat Kohli in case of an injury.
“The bench is getting strong. The position at which Shreyas is being sent to bat, he is being continuously sent at No. 3. So God forbid if Virat Kohli gets injured in some match, I feel he can become a very good option at No. 3, and that is probably where the team management’s sights are set on Shreyas Iyer,” Bangar said.
With Kohli not there, Iyer has two more opportunities to solidify his position in the playing XI.
