‘Surprised by his form…’: Ex-India star heaps praise on Shreyas Iyer following Champions Trophy triumph

The ex-India star in question here is Mohammad Kaif, who stated that he admires Iyer because he cemented his place as the Men in Blue's number 4 with stunning batting displays

India’s 2025 Champions Trophy campaign saw many players step up their game and perform well in their respective departments. While the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remained in the headlines, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif shed light on one of the unsung heroes, Shreyas Iyer.

Iyer was the highest scorer for India in the recently concluded ICC event with 243 runs in 5 matches and was also the second-highest scorer in the tournament overall.

Following his brilliant batting performance, Kaif showered praise on Iyer and highlighted the fact that the latter isn’t present in India’s ODI and T20I squad, and therefore, has added pressure to perform instantly when picked for one format alone.

“I was surprised by his form. He neither plays Tests, nor is he in the T20I squad. He plays only ODIs for India. So you are not there in the team continuously. You have to straightaway play for India after playing in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai, and in a zone where you have to attack, hit boundaries, and play your natural game,” Kaif said on Star Sports.

“I admire him because many players came and went at the No. 4 position. We weren’t getting players for the No. 4 position. This guy came and made his place, and played impactful knocks. He is this tournament’s second-highest run-getter, but he didn’t get a single Man of the Match,” Kaif added.

Iyer’s sensational batting displays meant that he was a contender to win the player of the series award, however that award was snapped up by the tournament’s top-scorer, Rachin Ravindra.

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