Shreyas Iyer won't travel for T20 WC, will play SMAT
Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, one of the four reserves in India's squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, will not travel to Australia. He will instead feature in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for his team Mumbai. Iyer shut his detractors, who questioned his form, after finishing as the leading run-scorer in the South Africa ODI series. Here are further details.
Why does this story matter?
Iyer was in the fray for a T20 World Cup spot earlier this year. However, his frailties against the short ball dented his plight to an extent. The meteoric rise of Suryakumar Yadav also played a part. Like last year, Iyer found a spot in the reserves list for the 2022 T20 WC. However, he will ply his trade in domestic cricket.
A second ODI ton for Iyer
Iyer hammered a sparkling century in the 2nd ODI versus South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday. He shared a superb 161-run stand for the third wicket alongside Ishan Kishan, who hit 93. The former brought up his second ODI century as India chased down 279 in 45.5 overs. Iyer also surpassed the 1,200-run mark in ODI cricket.
IND vs SA, ODIs: Most runs in three-match series
Iyer finished as the leading run-scorer of the three-match ODI series against South Africa. He slammed 191 runs from three matches at a strike rate of 111.70. His scores in the series read 28*, 113*, and 50.
A look at his T20 career
Iyer has over 5,000 runs (5,031) under his belt in his T20 cricket. The right-handed batter has featured in 189 T20s and averages 32.45 in the format. He has a strike rate of 130.16 in T20 cricket. In 2020, Iyer led Delhi Capitals (DC) to their first-ever final in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Capitals flourished under his leadership.
Mumbai are unbeaten in SMAT 2022/23 so far
Iyer is expected to play Mumbai's third clash in the 2022/23 SMAT against Assam on October 14 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot. Mumbai are unbeaten in the tournament so far, having defeated Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh. The Ajinkya Rahane-led Mumbai, placed in Group A, will then take on Vidarbha, Rajasthan, Railways, and Uttarakhand in the league stage.
