Rayudu Hits Back at Criticism of Shreyas Iyer

Team India clinched the five-match T20I series against New Zealand 3-2, winning the first three matches before losing the final two. Captain Shreyas Iyer delivered an impressive performance in the last match, scoring a half-century off just 23 balls. Although he played aggressively in the first four games, he did not manage to produce big innings, leading to criticism of his batting. Former cricketer Ambati Rayudu dismissed the criticism, asking people to look at Iyer’s strike rate. Rayudu said Iyer was in good form and described him as a match-winner who can dominate the world’s best bowlers once he settles in. He added that Iyer understands when to shift gears and that his strike rates in the fourth and fifth T20Is reflected his ability.

Meanwhile, former cricketer and analyst Aakash Chopra expressed surprise over Shivam Dube not being included in even one match of the T20I series against New Zealand. Chopra pointed out that Dube had played in the Asia Games final and scored impressively, besides featuring in ODI cricket against England. He acknowledged Nitish Kumar’s abilities as a bowling all-rounder but said Dube was a strong finisher. Chopra questioned what more a player needed to do to earn a place in the team, given Dube’s recent performances.