Sunil Gavaskar Criticizes Shreyas Iyer for Missed Opportunities in World Cup 2023, Advises Learning from Virat Kohli’s Resilience.
The World Cup 2023 is going expectedly great for team India, While Shreyas Iyer has undoubtedly played some valuable innings in the 2023 World Cup, he is yet to replicate the kind of match-winning performances that have become a trademark of players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul in this tournament. It’s worth noting that India’s long-standing No.4 batting dilemma in ODIs appeared to be resolved with the emergence of Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and KL Rahul, who all showcased their reliability in that crucial position. Nonetheless, Shreyas Iyer has maintained his reputation as the premier middle-order batsman for the team, amassing an impressive 964 runs in 26 matches at an average of 45.90, including two centuries and six half-centuries.
Shreyas Iyer, occupying the critical No. 4 position for India in the World Cup, has been contributing with useful innings, most notably an unbeaten half-century against Pakistan that played a pivotal role in India’s successful chase. However, the 28-year-old is yet to produce a standout performance in the tournament, with scores of 0, 25 not out, 53 not out, and 19 thus far. Former India captain and renowned batsman Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his belief that Iyer should be capitalizing more on the opportunities he’s been consistently receiving in this position. Gavaskar’s observations were particularly emphasized after the match against Bangladesh, during which Iyer was dismissed while attempting a big shot after scoring 19 runs off 25 balls. Gavaskar commented on Star Sports, saying, “He (Shreyas Iyer) lost his patience. He was batting on 19 and threw his wicket away. Shubman Gill (was batting on) fifty (52), threw his wicket away.” Gavaskar’s remarks underline the expectations and room for improvement in Iyer’s crucial role within the team.
Read more: Crucial Moment in India vs Bangladesh: Hardik Pandya Exits Field Due to Ankle Twist
Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the exemplary consistency and composure of Virat Kohli, emphasizing that other batters could learn from the Indian captain’s approach. In the same match, Kohli displayed his class by scoring an unbeaten century. Kohli’s exceptional form in the 2023 World Cup has been evident with scores of 85, 55 not out, 16, and 103 not out. Gavaskar noted, “Kohli never does that. He will seldom ever throw his wicket away. He makes you earn his wicket, and that is exactly what you need. When he got to 70-80, he realized that he had an opportunity to reach a hundred, and why not? Hundreds don’t come every day,” further underlining Kohli’s invaluable contributions and the valuable lesson his approach offers to his teammates.
Knowing how to score a century
Virat Kohli’s century against Bangladesh in the World Cup was his 48th in ODI cricket, placing him just one away from matching the extraordinary record set by Sachin Tendulkar. Sunil Gavaskar emphasized the importance of understanding how to convert starts into centuries, a skill that players like Kohli and even Shubman Gill have mastered. Gavaskar stressed the need for Shreyas Iyer to learn this art, stating, “You need to know how to get to a hundred, and it’s important for Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill. Shubman Gill is at least getting hundreds, while Shreyas Iyer is not. He is getting his opportunities to bat at number 4 on pitches as good as these, against toothless attacks, and he is squandering those valuable chances.” Gavaskar’s comments underscore the necessity for Iyer to capitalize on his potential and consistently convert his starts into big scores.
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