"He can become a very good option at No.3" - Sanjay Bangar feels Team India is considering Shreyas Iyer as a backup for Virat Kohli

Sanjay Bangar feels Shreyas Iyer is being groomed by Team India as a backup option for Virat Kohli at the No.3 position.

Iyer did not play the first two T20Is against the West Indies, with Kohli batting at his customary No.3 position. However, with the former Indian skipper being rested for the final T20I against the Windies and the ongoing series versus Sri Lanka, Iyer has batted at the No.3 spot in the last two matches.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Sanjay Bangar was asked to choose between Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav for a middle-order berth in India's T20I side.

While refraining from picking one amongst the duo, the former India batting coach opined that the team management is probably looking at Iyer for a different role. Bangar explained:

"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."

Team India have a plethora of options for the middle-order batting positions with regulars like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya not even in the squad for the Sri Lanka series. Iyer could struggle to make the playing XI in such a scenario and might be envisioned as a backup option at the moment.

---

"This guy has the swag" - Irfan Pathan lauds Shreyas Iyer's knock in the 1st India vs Sri Lanka T20I

Shreyas Iyer scored a blazing half-century in the first T20I against Sri Lanka

Meanwhile, Irfan Pathan was effusive in his praise for Iyer's knock. He elaborated:

"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."

The former India all-rounder was particularly appreciative of the sixes Iyer hit straight down the ground. Pathan observed:

"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. If we expect Shreyas Iyer to bat always at a strike rate of around 160, that's not going to happen, he is a different batter."

Iyer smoked an unbeaten 57 off just 28 deliveries to help Team India post a mammoth score of 199 runs. The hosts' bowlers then restricted Dasun Shanaka's side to a score of 137/6 to register a convincing 62-run win in the forst T20I.