Sublime Shreyas is piling on the runs this season: Shreyas Santosh iyer has been hitting the headlines since IPL 2015. Featuring in 14 games for Delhi Daredevils he had scored 439 runs with 83 runs as his best, at an average of 33.76 with a massive 128.36 strike rate. He also had 4 half-centuries to his credit.
Iyer carried forward his good form into Ranji Trophy 2015-16, representing Mumbai. A tally of 930 runs at an average of 71.53 and a strike rate of 95.48 from 8 matches (13 innings), with 3 centuries and 4 half-centuries and 200 being the individual best, the 21-year old, had ‘set the stage on fire’ at the end of the league stage in the Ranji Trophy 2015-16 tournament.
With 99 fours and 22 sixes, 528 runs (56.77%) of his runs have come by way of big hits.
Though he has done exceedingly well in the longer format, Iyer’s outing in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2015 has not been as impressive as it was expected to be.
Playing for Mumbai and having featured in 6 games, he has been able to score only 222 runs at an average of 37.00 with 84 as his best. He has just one half-century to his credit and a strike rate of 101.36.
For someone who is known for his explosive batting and being compared to none other than Virender Sehwag, the numbers clearly are not justifiable. He finished at the 35th position in the table of ‘most run-getters’ in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2015, as compared to his numero uno position in the identical table of Ranji Trophy 2015-16.
The ongoing Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2016 has not started very well for the young Iyer. He has played in all the three encounters, thus far, and has scored only 65 runs with 22 as his best at an average of 21.66 and 114.03 strike rate. For a batsman who comes up the order and who has the capability of striking big shots with ease, the numbers should have been much better.
He still has 5 games to go in the league stage of the tourney and that gives him ample opportunity to show case his batting talents to the full and attract the attention of the BCCI selectors who are keenly following the tournament, with the view of putting in place a group of probables for the upcoming T20I world Cup 2016, to be staged in India.
Possibly the young Mumbai batman would gear up and rise to the occasion to further his own cause.
