[Watch] Shreyas Iyer celebrates 29th birthday by cutting a cake ahead of India tour of South Africa

Shreyas Iyer celebrated his 29th birthday by cutting a cake on Wednesday, December 6, ahead of the upcoming India tour of South Africa.

In a video uploaded on Instagram, Iyer was seen cutting a cake. He also expressed his gratitude for his achievements when one of his friends asked him to make a wish.

"God has been kind," Iyer said.

Shreyas Iyer was last seen in action during the final two T20Is against Australia at home. The right-handed batter slammed 53 runs off just 37 balls in the final and fifth T20I, including two sixes and five boundaries. India won the game by six runs to seal the series 4-1.

Iyer, meanwhile, has been included in India squads for the upcoming three T20Is, as many ODIs and two Tests in South Africa. The tour in Durban on December 10 with the T20Is.

The right-handed batter has played only six ODIs in South Africa, scoring 102 runs in five innings at an average of 20.40. He will look to improve his figures in the African country.

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"High time the world starts talking about his strengths" – Mohammad Kaif on Shreyas Iyer

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif recently lauded Shreyas Iyer for his match-winning knock in the fifth and final T20I against Australia after ODI World Cup heroics.

Kaif wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter):

“Shreyas Iyer has had a phenomenal run recently and it should be appreciated. High time the world starts talking about his strengths and not keep pointing to his weakness.”

Iyer looked in sensational form with the bat in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The middle-order batter amassed 530 runs in 11 ODIs at an average of 66.25, including two centuries and three fifties.

Besides international cricket, Iyer has been retained by his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. The right-hander missed the last edition of the IPL due to injury.

As an IPL skipper, Iyer has won 27 matches in 55 games, with a win percentage of 49.09. In his absence, Nitish Rana led the Knight Riders last season. However, the Kolkata-based franchise failed to reach the playoffs, finishing seventh with six victories in 14 matches.