After India’s victory over Pakistan in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, batter Shreyas Iyer, who scored a half-century and shared a crucial 114-run partnership with star batter Virat Kohli, praised Kohli’s hunger for runs.
Iyer emphasized that Kohli never struggles for runs but constantly seeks them, as evident from his decision to arrive an hour early for practice ahead of the match.
Virat Kohli’s record-breaking 82nd century, Shreyas Iyer’s fifty, and strong spells from Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya led India to a six-wicket win over Pakistan, bringing them closer to the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals.
“I never felt Virat struggles for runs; it’s his mindset over the years. He’s always hungry for runs and even arrived an hour early for practice. He looked as crisp as ever, so I don’t think he was struggling,” Iyer said in the post-match presentation.
“Could Have Won Earlier With More Aggression”: Iyer Reflects on Victory
“I think we could have won a bit earlier, could have been a convincing win based on how the wicket was playing. It was initially coming on pretty well with the new ball and after that it was difficult to score runs when the ball got a bit old. But if we would have played more aggressively we would have won a bit earlier I felt,” he said.
He also praised the bowlers, highlighting their effectiveness in the middle overs when the spinners benefited from the turning pitch.
“As seen in the previous game, the wicket here is slow and favors spinners. Axar, Kuldeep, and Jadeja have been consistent, and their experience adds clarity to their bowling,” he added.
Iyer expressed his joy over the victory and admitted that he initially found it challenging to place the ball into the gaps during his innings.
“I think Abrar bowled brilliantly. It was crucial for me to play out his spell while rotating the strike. Once I was set, I used the sweep and reverse sweep to put pressure on him, which worked well. From there, building the partnership was key, and we did a good job taking the team through,” he added.
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