'Doesn't Have The Hunger For Red-Ball Cricket': Ex-Pakistan Cricketer Criticizes Shreyas Iyer's Poor Performance

Shreyas Iyer has had a patchy Duleep Trophy so far but his latest effort only increased expectations from him. Having made an indifferent beginning to the competition, making a rapid half-century in the second innings but falling without too much for India C, Iyer was omitted from the squad that travels to Bangladesh to take part in the upcoming Test series. This was an important second-round match to establish his Test worth, but Iyer fell to a duck on the very first ball. Wearing sunglasses, which is rarely used in cricket, Iyer's short innings came to an end over there, thereby frustrating all his hopes to get a place in Test cricket.

Shreyas Iyer's Inconsistent Performance

Unfortunately, that was the timing of his dismissal when he needed to really cement his place in the Test team. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali expressed criticism at Iyer's approach, claiming the 29-year-old was "lucky" and does not have the necessary "hunger" for red-ball cricket.

“As a cricketer, it saddens me to see him. If you are getting out in front, your concentration isn't in the game. And especially the red-ball game. He has scored two centuries in the World Cup, he's an IPL-winning captain, he should've scored 100-200 runs here. Iyer is so lucky that Rahane and Pujara aren't playing in Duleep Trophy,” said Basit.

Also Read: ENG Vs AUS, 2nd T20I: Liam Livingstone’s Explosive 87 Powers England To Victory

No 'Hunger' For Red-Ball Cricket

“Iyer doesn't have the hunger for red-ball cricket anymore. He's only hungry for boundaries. You should prioritise it. If he's thinking he is similar to Virat Kohli after hitting two centuries in World Cup, no, it doesn't happen that way. I'm sorry to Indians who like him, but if I was India's selector, Iyer wouldn't have been in the Duleep Trophy at all. He's not respecting the game.”

A Year Full Of Ups & Downs For Iyer

Shreyas Iyer's 2024 has been nothing short of a see-saw of ups and downs. Overlooked for BCCI contracts owing to his absence from Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad, the 29-year-old batter made a smashing comeback into the national reckoning. Right-arm bat: Iyer was instrumental in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy title and later played an pivotal role in guiding the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL crown.

After the performances for domestic and IPL cricket, Iyer firstly made an appearance on the international arena in the ODI series against Sri Lanka in August. Later, he has not been picked up for the Test squad, though KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan appeared instead.

Also Read: This KKR Bowler Wreaked Havoc In Duleep Trophy!

This, though, does not necessarily rule out the Test comeback of Iyer. With the BCCI yet to announce the squad for the second Test against Bangladesh, a performance of substance during this ongoing second round of the Duleep Trophy could get him a ticket back into the Test team yet again.