“No one is going to be there to help you in your tough times” - Shreyas Iyer’s big statement after scoring 79 in IND vs NZ 2025 Champions Trophy match

Shreyas Iyer recently opened up about his challenging phase over the last 12 months after his match-winning knock against New Zealand in the 2025 Champions Trophy clash in Dubai on Sunday, March 2. The Mumbai batter revealed he kept backing himself despite being dropped from the Tests and BCCI’s central contract.

Iyer has shown a meteoric rise following his return to international cricket during the ODI series against England. Since his comeback, the right-handed batter has returned with scores of 59, 44, 78, 15, 56, and 79 in his six outings. He was one of the leading run-getters in the 2023 ODI World Cup but had to grind in domestic cricket during most of 2024. He recently mentioned that he wasn’t the first pick in the XI during the ODI series against England.

Iyer told official broadcasters Star Sports after the last Group A game against the Kiwis (via India Today):

"It has definitely taught me a lot as a person, as an individual, on how to take the responsibility on myself rather than depending on someone else because over a period of time, I realised that it's only you versus you. No one is going to be there to help you in your tough times, but there are only limited people who would be there and you know them very closely. So yeah, I've been just backing myself and showing that sort of confidence in every situation I enter in. I always love to back my instincts."

"I keep saying that again and again, and I think that's what has helped me in the last 1.5 years. And also the technique that I've developed. I think we had a vivid chat about it. But other than that, just to stay in the present as much as possible and not to dwell in those thoughts which has happened in the past," he added.

“It was important” – Shreyas Iyer on the relevance of his 98-run partnership with Axar Patel against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy clash

Shreyas Iyer further shared the significance of his 98-run partnership with Axar Patel after India were stranded at 30/3 inside seven overs. He said in the same interaction:

"Yeah, obviously you see the ball was coming a bit slowly onto the bat initially. And it was important and crucial for the team to build a partnership from there on, and Axar I think it played a brilliant knock to get those crucial 40 runs for the team, and we almost got a partnership of 100, which was essential at that point of time. So, yeah, that was the mindset just to keep ticking the scoreboard. And that we get boundaries here and there which can possibly get the momentum towards us.”

Shreyas Iyer's partner Axar Patel scored 42 runs in the key partnership. India won the match by 44 runs to set a Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal clash against Steve Smith's Australia, scheduled to be played in Dubai on Tuesday, March 4.