Shreyas Iyer eyes comeback to Tests after Ranji Trophy century
What's the story
Shreyas Iyer, the star batter of Indian cricket, has ended his 35-month-long wait for a First-Class century.
The milestone was achieved during the Ranji Trophy match against Maharashtra on Saturday.
This was his first triple-figure score since scoring one on his Test debut in November 2021.
The Mumbai-born cricketer expressed his joy and relief at this achievement following the match at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy.
He now eyes a comeback to the Test setup.
Positivity
Iyer remains optimistic despite setbacks
Despite the professional challenges, Iyer is still optimistic.
He said, "You win three championships (Ranji Trophy, IPL and Irani Cup) in a year and what else can you ask for? All I see is the positive things over here and that is winning the trophy and that's what I want."
This just goes to show his resilience and determination to succeed despite the odds.
Dedication
Iyer's commitment to Test cricket remains strong
Answering questions about his commitment to Test cricket after being dropped from the squad and losing BCCI contract, Iyer reiterated his commitment.
He said, "Absolutely. That's why I have been playing. I mean, or else I would have given a reason and sat out."
He also said he is looking forward to a comeback, stressing on the need to perform consistently and stay in peak physical condition.
Strategy
Iyer's strategy and fitness for longer formats
Iyer revealed his strategy for the innings was to face more deliveries rather than focusing on scoring shots.
He has also been working on improving his long-distance running to build endurance for longer formats of the game.
Despite experiencing some back discomfort after standing for extended periods, he confirmed that his back is now fully recovered.
Comeback
Comeback loading for Iyer?
Iyer bounced back in red-ball cricket after being excluded for the Bangladesh Test series.
Iyer's performance in the 2024 Duleep Trophy was less than impressive, as he scored only 154 runs at 25.66 across six innings. This also included two ducks and as many half-centuries.
Iyer is yet to earn his spot back after being excluded from the BCCI's central contract list earlier this year.
Runs
Iyer completes 6,000 FC runs
Iyer scored a 190-ball 142 against Maharashtra. His knock had 12 fours and four sixes.
With this century, Iyer has surpassed 6,000 runs in First-Class cricket. He came to this contest with 5,913 runs under his belt at 46.92.
The right-handed batter hammered his 14th FC century. He also owns 33 fifties.
Notably, 811 of his runs have come for India in Test cricket.