Want to bowl, but advised against it by strength and conditioning coaches, says Shreyas Iyer

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has revealed that he wants to bowl in international cricket but has been advised against it by the team’s strength and conditioning coaches.

Shreyas was out of the game for quite a few months due to a recurring back injury and hence has been asked to stay away from bowling for a while.

The sixth bowler option has been a concern for India in one-day cricket. After all-rounder Hardik Pandya got injured during the league phase of the 2023 World Cup, the Men in Blue played the rest of the matches with five frontline bowlers.

Speaking to Jio Cinema after India clinched the five-match T20I series against Australia 4-1, Shreyas opened up on his bowling ambition.

“I have been longing to bowl, but the strength and conditioning coaches, they are right 'now you are not going to bowl for some time'. That's the sad part of it,” the right-handed batter said.

Shreyas has only bowled 45 deliveries in international cricket so far and is yet to pick up a wicket. The part-time spinner has four scalps in first-class cricket, five in List A games, and one in T20 cricket.

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“I feel 160 was the right total” - Shreyas Iyer on 5th T20I

Shreyas (53 off 37 balls) was the top-scorer for India in the fifth T20I against Australia in Bengaluru on Sunday. The Men in Blue put up 160/8 after being asked to bat first and then held the opponents to 154/8.

Reflecting on his knock, the right-handed batter, who hit five fours and two sixes, said:

“My mindset was to go boom boom, but when I saw three wickets falling, my mind started calculating. It wasn't an easy wicket to bat on. I feel 160 was the right total, which we got eventually. To defend it was a brilliant performance from the team.”

Shreyas also praised left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh for bowling a brilliant last over under pressure and conceding only three runs.

Reflecting on India’s performance in the match, he commented:

“I'm elated to be honest to see everyone chipping in and contributing for the team. The shots, innovation has been on point and I could see Arshdeep's [Singh] calmness when he was bowling the last over.”

Australia needed 10 to win off the last over with skipper Matthew Wade at the crease. Arshdeep kept things tight and dismissed Wade off the third ball as India registered a six-run win.