Shreyas’ belief in ‘strengths’ drove him during hard times

new delhi: He fought perceptions about a so-called technical shortcoming, was “typecast”, and had his contract torn up within months of being a World Cup hero but Shreyas Iyer was indefatigable through it all, trusting his sincerity and uncomplicated mind to steer him through.

The result of the perseverance has been pleasing, to put it mildly. The 30-year-old has built himself into one of India’s most consistent No. 4 batters in recent times and was declared a “silent hero” by his captain Rohit Sharma after the team’s Champions Trophy triumph a few days ago.

“Maybe, the perception was created or maybe I was typecast. But I always knew my strengths, my abilities and (there was also) the belief (that) I had in myself,” Iyer said in an interview when asked about his perceived lack of ability to play the short ball that became a talking point in the last couple of years.

The numbers back him. In the last eight ODIs, including the home games against England and the subsequent Champions Trophy, Iyer has averaged 53 batting at No. 4 and had only one low-scoring outing in eight knocks. “An athlete needs to constantly evolve as the sport keeps changing its dynamics. I am glad I kept a positive frame of mind, and trusted my process,” he said.

Last year, he sustained a back injury during the home Tests against England and then lost his central contract after showing up for his then IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders’ training instead of Ranji Trophy duties after his recovery.

He was stripped of his central contract as BCCI set out to assert the importance of domestic cricket by seemingly punishing him. Iyer kept his head down and led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL trophy weeks later before forcing his way back into India’s 50-over set-up.

His was a classic case of performance doing all the talking for him. “I kept my process simple. Tried not to over-think the situation and to continue doing my work honestly. I always had the belief that my performance and my sincerity will bring back the opportunity,” said the prolific batter, who will be captaining Punjab Kings

this IPL season.

The difficult time also made him a better learner. “It allowed me to learn a lot, reassess the situation and prepare a routine to add additional skills in my armoury. Looking back, I am happy with the outcome, the way I managed the situation and, belief in my abilities,” he said.