Few batsman can invite comparisons with the exalted likes of Virender Sehwag. The 22-year-old Shreyas Santosh Iyer can, not just in terms of scoring big at a quick pace. But also in how closely his batting resembles the Nawab of Najafgarh — be it the hawk-eyed hunched stoop at address, or the fluid belligerence of the bat swing.
Known for his attacking expressive style of play since his early days playing at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana in Mumbai, when he was coached by former India batsman Pravin Amre, Iyer burst into the spotlight in 2015, when Delhi Daredevils forked over a flattering Rs. 2.6 crore to bag him for the IPL season.
As the highest-paid uncapped player at the time, Iyer repaid his franchise's belief by capping the 2015 IPL season off as the Emerging Player, having blasted 439 runs at an average of 34 and strike rate of 128.
Iyer's first-class debut came in December 2014, playing for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, when he outscored all his teammates with 809 runs at an average of 51, including a couple of tons and six half-centuries.
The 2015-16 Ranji season was even more bountiful for the young batsman, as his 1,371 runs, including four tons and seven fifites, at an average of 73 — not to mention his 142-ball 117 in the final against Saurashtra — helped Mumbai lift the trophy for the 41st time. As the tournament's top-scorer, Iyer became the second batsman since VVS Laxman to have scored more than 1,300 runs in a single Ranji season.
Even as the calls for his induction into the packed Indian national squad got louder, the 2016-17 Ranji season earned him 725 more runs at an average of 43.
And since hammering a century for India A against a visiting Bangladeshi side in early February, Iyer went on to smash a double-ton later that month against Australia at a strike rate of 96.
There is little doubt that Iyer deserved the Test call-up for the final clash of the Australian tour of India, even if it is as a cover for captain Virat Kohli. Perhaps, shoulder niggles aren't so bad if they provide openings for talented batsmen made to wait too long in the wings.
Published - March 23, 2017 09:43 pm IST