Shreyas Iyer feels he has done more than enough to assure himself in India's No. 4 slot in the One-Day International (ODI) format, a point he drove home during an Instagram Live interview with his Indian Premier League (IPL) team Delhi Capitals.
“I have told this in many interviews. There should be no more questions asked about India’s No. 4 batting slot. If someone has played on that position for a year then he has secured that spot. Good feeling about securing the No. 4 spot. You need to be flexible but I feel I can bat at any position depending on the condition,” the 25-year-old said.
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In the 18 matches he has contested so far, Iyer's average is nearly 50 and he has racked up 50+ scores in nine matches, one of them being a century during India's tour of New Zealand at the start of this year.
Recounting that moment, Iyer said, “When I scored that century, the day before I saw the names on the wall of fame, I saw Shikhar Dhawan’s name as well. I too wished of having my name there. The next day I scored a hundred.”
Team India's No. 4 dilemma
The No. 4 spot has been a point of contention since before the 2019 ICC World Cup began. Team India controversially selected Vijay Shankar over Ambati Rayudu for his all-round abilities, and this led to considerable backlash from the fans and media alike.
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As things transpired, India were eliminated from the semi-final after a top-order collapse and the decision to go with Shankar certainly didn’t help matters any during that crucial defeat against New Zealand.
Since then, however, Iyer has been put to bat at No. 4 -- a decision that has so far boded well for the Men in Blue.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / David Rowland
