Why the time has come to give Shreyas Iyer due credit for his performances

It is certainly no fun being Shreyas Iyer, with the optics and perception often creating the narratives over reality. Yet, the right-hander continued what he had consistently done for the last eight years - bailing India out of trouble with a game-changing knock.

Back in the side for the ODI series against England, Iyer walked into bat with India reeling at 19/2 in their run-chase of 249 in the opening encounter at Nagpur. An hour and 10 overs later, they were coasting at 113/2 in the 16th over, thanks single-handedly to Iyer's blistering counter-attack.

The 30-year-old finished with 59 off 36 deliveries and completely flipped the script as India won comfortably by four wickets in the 39th over.

However, it was his post-match comments that stunned several former players and fans. Iyer, by his own admission, wasn't supposed to play the first ODI had Virat Kohli been fit.

"I was watching a movie last night, thinking I could extend my night, but then I got a call from the skipper saying that I might play because Virat has got a swollen knee. And then I hurried back to my room and went off to sleep straight away. You know what you want me to say, but I'm going to keep it low-key and cherish this moment, the victory today," he said [quoted by TOI].

Just the fact that Iyer's place in the XI in an ODI was in doubt raises alarm bells as to whether his performances have gone under the radar far too often. As he continues to pile up match-winning performances in the 50-over arena and elsewhere, the time is now for the Indian fans to not overlook an outstanding cricketer in the name of nitpicking.

Shreyas Iyer's sustained performances should end any delusional narratives

Iyer's splendid century helped India defeat New Zealand in the 2023 ODI World Cup semifinal [Credit: Getty]

Shreyas Iyer's ODI numbers are nothing short of sensational for any batter batting at any position. The Mumbai-born cricketer averages a phenomenal 47.69 at a strike rate of over 102 in 63 ODI games.

Only Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill have scored more than Iyer in the 2020s and Iyer's opportunities in terms of balls faced are far lesser than the two, considering he bats at No. 4 and 5.

He is also in the top 25 all-time for ODI batting average and is one of only three players on that list to boast a strike rate of over 100 (Shubman Gill and AB de Villiers the others).

Remember India's debacle and subsequent merry-go-around for a No. 4 batter during the build-up to the 2019 ODI World Cup? Iyer almost single-handedly has owned that position for the Men in Blue in ODIs, winning the side many matches from different situations.

He became the first Indian batter to score over 500 runs while batting at No. 4 in an ODI World Cup during the 2023 edition. Iyer was the seventh leading run-scorer in the tournament with 530 runs at an average of over 66 and a strike rate of 113.21.

His ability to play the double-gear game of anchoring and counter-attacking helped India enjoy an unbeaten run in the 2023 ODI World Cup until the final. Iyer has also stamped his authority when India wins an ODI, averaging almost 58 at a strike rate of 108.60 in victories.

The 30-year-old boasts reasonably impressive numbers even in his so-called underwhelming formats - Tests and T20Is. Iyer averages almost 37 in the red-ball format with six 50+ scores, including several on challenging spin-friendly wickets.

His T20I numbers at an average of over 30 and a strike rate of 136.12 are far from the truth in terms of the perception around him for a middle-order batter.

Fans must change their choice of Iyer's intangibles

Iyer led KKR to one of the most dominant IPL seasons last year [Credit: Getty]

Just Iyer's above-mentioned numbers, especially in ODIs, should make him an indispensable choice in the 50-over format and a long-term prospect even in the other formats. Yet, what has caused the lingering doubts around him over the years?

Iyer has been prone to persistent back injuries and ultimately one of them came at an inopportune time last year, resulting in his exclusion from the BCCI's central contracts list. It is the kind of storyline that sticks in people's mind, much like his occasional struggles against the short-ball.

Yet, similar yardsticks aren't used for Iyer's positives - the flurry of title runs he helped lead various sides to last year. Iyer captained Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a historic IPL 2024 season, where they won nine out of their 12 completed league stage games and dominated the playoffs.

KKR brushed aside a dominant SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) unit in Qualifier 1 and the grand finale to win their third IPL title. Yet, Pat Cummins seemingly got more credit for SRH finishing as runners-up than Iyer for leading KKR to the title.

In his case, the wealth was spread around from Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy to Phil Salt and Andre Russell, among others. Iyer played a massive role in Mumbai's 2024 Ranji Trophy triumph, scoring a 95 in the final.

More recently, he led Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title as well, following his Irani Trophy title with them in October last year.

It speaks to Iyer's clutch gene and leadership qualities that he is routinely part of title-winning teams. Yet, what forms people's perceptions is up to their discretion - Either they can focus on the optics of the short-ball deficiencies, which have hardly resulted in any consistent failures as the numbers show, or hail Iyer the way he should be for his astonishing ODI achievements and multiple title-winning campaigns in the domestic circuit.

In India or for that matter anywhere, repetition of a lie often becomes the truth and perception all too often becomes reality. Instead, how about coming out of the optical illusion and deriving reality from the facts, which would undeniably warrant giving Shreyas Iyer his due for sustained proficiency across formats for several years?