Iyer achieves significant career milestone
Shreyas Iyer, the Indian middle-order batter and T20I skipper, has achieved a notable career milestone, surpassing 5,000 international runs across all formats. This accomplishment occurred during the first T20I match against England at Chester-le-Street. Iyer scored a 47-ball 68 during the match, which included six fours and a six, maintaining a strike rate exceeding 144.
Iyer’s international career now includes six centuries and 37 fifties. Across 147 matches for India, he has accumulated 5,031 runs at an average of 39.61 and a strike rate of 96.06. His highest score stands at 128*.
In Test cricket, Iyer has played 14 matches, scoring 811 runs in 24 innings at an average of 36.86, with one century and five fifties, and a best score of 105. In 79 One Day Internationals (ODIs), which is noted as his strongest format, he has made 3,035 runs in 73 innings at an average of 45.98, including five centuries and 23 fifties, with a strike rate of 98.60 and a top score of 128*.
For T20Is, Iyer has played 54 matches, scoring 1,184 runs in 50 innings at an average of 30.38, with a strike rate over 135, and nine fifties, his best being 74*. This recent innings against England marked his ninth fifty in T20Is for India and his second fifty against England. He is also closing in on 100 fours (98) and 50 sixes (45) in T20Is.
During his innings of 68, Iyer also became the first Indian captain to score a fifty in T20I cricket on English soil, surpassing Virat Kohli’s previous best of 47 as captain in a T20I match in Cardiff in 2018. Other former captains like Rohit Sharma had a top score of 31 in 2022, and MS Dhoni had a best of 30 not out in 2009. The highest score by any captain in a T20I match on English soil remains Steve Smith’s 90 in Cardiff in 2015.
Iyer’s achievement places him among the fastest batters to reach 5,000 international runs. Virat Kohli holds the record, achieving this in 113 innings, while Sachin Tendulkar reached the landmark in 121 innings.
Abhishek Sharma’s record-breaking performance
The match also saw a landmark performance from Abhishek Sharma, who completed 100 sixes in T20Is. He reached this milestone in just 785 balls, making him the fastest player from a Test-playing nation to do so, surpassing West Indies’ Evin Lewis, who achieved it in 789 balls. Sharma scored an aggressive 59 off 24 balls, featuring six fours and four sixes, at a strike rate exceeding 245. He now has a total of 102 T20I sixes.
The partnership between Iyer and Sharma was crucial for India. After a shaky start where Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan were dismissed early, Sharma went on the attack, scoring a blistering 50 off just 20 balls. He and Iyer built an impressive 82-run stand for the third wicket. Iyer then continued to contribute with partnerships of 36 runs with Tilak Varma and 42 runs with Shivam Dube.
Match summary and upcoming fixture
The contributions from Iyer and Sharma, along with a power-packed cameo from Shivam Dube, who scored 42* in 21 balls with two fours and three sixes, propelled India to a total of 189/7 in 20 overs. However, the match was ultimately abandoned due to rain, preventing England from batting.
Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara praised Iyer’s innings, highlighting his maturity in leading the team after early wickets. Pujara noted that Iyer’s ability to hold one end up and then play quality shots once set was crucial for putting the team in a commanding position. The second T20I of the series is scheduled to take place at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday.
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Source: m.rediff.com
