Iyer cherishes India spot after Champions Trophy heroics vs Pakistan
What's the story
Indian batter Shreyas Iyer has called his place in the ODI team a "blessing."
His consistent performances have been key to India's recent victories in the format.
His last outing saw him score a match-winning half-century against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
Speaking at a post-match press conference, Iyer said, "I think it was a blessing to be honest. Because I have already mentioned about it in my previous interviews, but I would always take it as a blessing."
Comeback trail
Iyer's journey back to Indian squad
Iyer's road back to the Indian squad wasn't smooth.
He was omitted from the BCCI's central contract list last year amid reports of him being reluctant to play domestic cricket.
However, after an eight-month break, he made a triumphant return during India's series against Sri Lanka in August 2024.
Before the Champions Trophy, Iyer had scored 254 runs in his last five ODIs, solidifying his place as India's No. 4 batter.
Match-winning performance
Iyer's crucial innings against Pakistan
Against Pakistan, Iyer showed his batting class by scoring a vital half-century and stitching a match-defining 114-run partnership with Virat Kohli.
His calculated approach to the game, including rotating the strike and going up a gear when needed, was instrumental in India easily chasing down Pakistan's 241-run target.
This performance has further highlighted his significance in India's middle-order as they near a Champions Trophy semi-final berth.
Venue perspective
Iyer's response to playing in Pakistan
When a Pakistani journalist asked if the victory would have been sweeter had it been in Lahore or Karachi, Iyer said he has never played in Pakistan and hence doesn't know how it would've felt.
He did say he enjoyed the challenge of a game against Pakistan, saying, "I've never played a single game in Pakistan so I don't know about that. But at the end of the day, any victory against Pakistan is sweet."
Stats
Here we present Iyer's stats
Iyer smashed a 67-ball 56 in the contest (5 fours and 1 six).
This was his 21st half-century in ODI cricket.
He also has five tons to his name. In 67 ODIs, the Indian batter has crossed the 2,650-run mark.
He has an average of 47.73 in the format.
In a career spanning over eight years, Iyer has scored 2,673 runs with a strike-rate of 101.90.