"I don't have to send any message to anyone" - Team India star drops huge statement after 2025 Champions Trophy win

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer said he doesn't have anything to prove to anyone after his imperious 2025 Champions Trophy campaign, where he finished as one of the highest run-getters (243 in five innings). The right-handed batter has been in fine form, especially in ODI cricket, cementing the No. 4 spot in the Indian batting line-up.

Iyer has battled scrutiny throughout his career, with questions raised against his consistency and ability to play the short ball. However, he has silenced criticism to a great extent since recovering from the persistent back injury in 2023. He made a serious case with a dominant 2023 ODI World Cup (530 runs in 11 innings), and his runs in the lead-up and the 2025 Champions Trophy have played a huge role in the Men in Blue's recent success.

Iyer's much-improved gameplay against the short ball has made the headlines on multiple occasions in the recent past. He recently remarked that the consecutive sixes against Jofra Archer during the first ODI against England in Nagpur helped him gain confidence against the short ball.

"In terms of the confidence, yes. But you look at my domestic season, I played so many this year and hit sixes off difficult deliveries. I gained a lot of confidence from that. Technically, I was able to get a wide stance and create a great base, which enabled me to generate that force. I was able to replicate that in the England (home) series and the matches after that," Iyer said in an interview with the Hindustan Times.

"I don’t have to send any message to anyone. All I have to do is believe in myself and play the best cricket possible. The message automatically gets delivered," he added.

Iyer will next be seen in action leading the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The 2014 IPL finalists are scheduled to begin their campaign with a clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 25.

"If I could have got a boundary off that ball, it would have been different" - Shreyas Iyer on his 2025 Champions Trophy final dismissal

Like the majority of the tournament, Iyer was tasked with steering India's run-scoring in the middle overs during the 2025 Champions Trophy final against New Zealand on March 9. Despite not chasing a daunting target (252), India were trapped for a while after losing quick wickets.

Iyer had to deal with the spinners bowling in tandem straightaway and forged an important partnership with Axar Patel for the fourth wicket. Many expected the in-form batter to hold one end and take India home. But, he was dismissed for 48 runs off 62 deliveries, while trying to take on New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner behind square in the 39th over.

"It was my intention (to bat on). If you remember we were going ball to ball, and if I could have got a boundary off that ball (against Mitchell Santner), it would have been different. Unfortunately, it came in a bit quicker and I wasn’t able to generate force," Iyer said of his dismissal in the same interview.

Iyer finished the 2025 Champions Trophy as India's leading run-scorer, with 243 runs in five innings at an average of 48.60.