There's No Getting Rid Of Shreyas Iyer As India's No.4 In ODIs

Since Shreyas Iyer lost his BCCI central contract, things could have gone from bad to worse. It could have demotivated any player, and his intensity could have dropped.

For Iyer, his hunger knew new bounds. After injuring his back during the second Test in Visakhapatnam, Iyer was cleared to play later. However, the BCCI's rules state that an injured player should return to domestic cricket before being considered for international selection.

Iyer did not adhere to it and, as a result, found himself out of a contract. As demoralising as that could have been, it fuelled Iyer to work harder. He led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

He led from the front with the bat, playing according to the situation. When there was a need to absorb the pressure and play a supporting fiddle to the other batter, he was there. When there was a need to accelerate or go big, he was there too. His captaincy and his ability to make those crucial decisions on the field, too, were applauded.

In a way, he ticked all the boxes. How long could you keep such a talented player out? Especially when he, not too long ago, had an amazing World Cup.

While he is not leading the Indian side (yet), he showed his full repertoire with the bat. At 19/2, chasing 249 in the first ODI against England in Nagpur could have been a tricky proposition, especially if you lose another one in a few deliveries.

As a batter, you have two options: You either go into a shell, wait for the bad balls, and put them away, or you follow the "attack is the best form of defence" mantra and take calculated risks.

Iyer chose the latter, and his two sixes off Jofra Archer was just the start of things to come. He used his feet well to the spinners and picked the length up quickly on a slow track to make the most of this opportunity. In the end, his 59 off 36 is just the sort of knock India needed from him in such a situation.

In fact, Archer and Saqib Mahmood looked to trouble Iyer with short balls - something that is considered to be his weakness. However, once the 30-year-old showed ZERO hesitation in smashing it around, they started going a little fuller - which is right up his alley. 

With Kohli at three and Iyer at four in the Champions Trophy, India will hope that they continue the form they showed in the World Cup, in which they scored nearly 1300 runs between them.

"To be honest, I don't run behind success. I follow a routine and preparation, which will take me towards success. For me, a champion is me. It is all in the mind. I personally feel there is no one to support you other than yourself. You keep elevating yourself, transforming from one level to another,r and you never cry over spilled milk," he said ahead of the ODI series against England.

Contract or no contract, there's no getting rid of Shreyas Iyer.